Sexual abuse of Gaza detainees in Israeli prisons going rampant
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Palestinian rights groups report ongoing sexual assault and torture against detainees in Israeli prisons, amid escalating arrests, medical neglect, and human rights violations.
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Israeli soldiers gather at the gate to the Sde Teiman military base, where inside, soldiers are being questioned for Palestinian detainee abuse, Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP)
Palestinian rights organizations have revealed disturbing accounts of ongoing sexual assault against Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, along with the Palestinian Prisoners Society, detailed harrowing testimonies from detainees in the al-Naqab and Ofer prisons.
The joint statement confirmed that acts of rape and sexual assault continue to be inflicted on Palestinian detainees, particularly those abducted from Gaza. “Rape and sexual assaults against Gaza detainees are ongoing,” the statement declared.
One testimony described a method of abuse used by guards in Ofer prison, “In Ofer camp, guards intentionally restrain detainees and repeatedly insert a stick into the detainee’s anus until he feels he is suffocating.”
The account further noted that guards escalate the abuse in response to the victim’s pain.
“The more the detainee screams in pain, the more the guard intensifies the abuse,” the detainee reported.
Testimonies reveal systematic abuse
These acts of public humiliation are part of what rights groups describe as a pattern of systematic torture. Surveillance systems, typically used for security monitoring, have reportedly been repurposed as tools of abuse. Guards monitor detainees through cameras and punish any perceived signs of defiance.
“If a detainee is seen smiling or displaying any behaviour perceived as defiance, the guards respond by violently beating him until he faints or the repression units impose collective punishment against all detainees through brutal searches and severe torture,” the statement read.
These testimonies and reports highlight a deeply concerning pattern of systemic abuse, torture, and medical neglect faced by Palestinian detainees, reflecting a broader culture of impunity within the Israeli prison system.
Despite mounting evidence and international condemnation, Israeli authorities continue to operate without accountability, shielding perpetrators from justice. The silence and inaction of global institutions further embolden these violations, allowing a despotic system to persist unchecked, where basic human rights are routinely disregarded in the face of political power and military dominance.
'Israel' detained over 8100 Palestinians in West Bank since Oct. 7
The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) reported earlier this month that the total number of detained Palestinians from the West Bank and al-Quds since October 7 is estimated at 8,100, including those who were detained from their homes, at military checkpoints, those who surrendered under pressure, and those taken as hostages.
Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out extensive raids accompanied by brutal beatings, threats against the detainees and their families, direct shooting with the intention of killing, as well as widespread destruction and sabotage of Palestinian homes.
The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the PPS, and the Ramallah-based Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Addameer) have lately reported that the Israeli occupation has detained 258 women, including women from the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 and women from Gaza detained in the West Bank. More than 500 minors were also held throughout the said period.
The detainees' associations reported that 64 journalists had been detained, with 43 still in prison and 23 placed under administrative detention without indictment or trial. 4,430 administrative detention orders were issued against Palestinians, including new and renewed orders for children and women.
They also explained that the current detention campaigns are accompanied by an increase in crimes and breaches, including torture, severe beatings, and threats against detainees and their family members.
