Severe abuse in Israeli prisons threatens Palestinian leaders' lives
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The Palestinian Prisoners Information Office said leaders of the Captive Movement are subject to extreme torture and cruel treatment in Israeli prisons.
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Military vehicles are lined up at the Israeli Ofer prison in the West Bank city of Beitunia, on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 (AP)
The horrific violations committed against the leaders of the Captive Movement in Israeli occupation prisons will lead to a clear and inevitable outcome, one that could result in their martyrdom at any moment, the Prisoners Information Office warned on Thursday.
The office emphasized that the Israeli occupation has recently escalated a vicious and brutal assault against Palestinian Captive Movement leaders, employing the most extreme methods of torture, deliberate starvation, and medical neglect in an attempt to break them both physically and mentally, pushing their lives to the brink.
The statement explained that this calculated attack is part of a broader strategy of annihilation against the Palestinian people, especially targeting prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons, further extending the decades-long legacy of systematic crimes carried out by the occupation.
The organization noted that the concerning reports about the deteriorating health conditions of imprisoned leaders Abdallah Barghouti, Hassan Salameh, Sheikh Jamal Natsheh, Abbas al-Sayyed, Muammar Shahrour, and others are clear proof, beyond any doubt, that the Israeli authorities are pursuing a policy of gradual and systematic killing against them.
The office held the Israeli occupation fully and directly responsible for the lives of the imprisoned leaders, emphasizing that the torture and abuse they are subjected to constitute a "full-fledged war crime."
These actions will go down in history as a shameful stain that accompanies the international community, which remains complicit through its silence.
Urging immediate action, the office "called on international institutions and all human rights activists to take urgent and immediate action before another prisoner is killed and buried in the so-called 'cemeteries of numbers.'"
The Israeli occupation is violating international law by withholding the bodies of murdered #Palestinians and keeping them in cemeteries classified by numbers rather than their own names. #Palestine pic.twitter.com/b9Ye4zhBl9
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 23, 2022
It further appealed to Palestinians "in the occupied West Bank, occupied al-Quds, and across all arenas to rise and march in solidarity with those who have sacrificed their lives so that you may live with dignity."
Israeli soldiers instructed to use brutal force against Palestinian detainees
Within the Israeli detention system, two facilities—Sde Teiman military base and a new detention center at Ofer prison—have emerged as focal points for accusations of mistreatment.
A leaked testimony from an Israeli guard at Sde Teiman reveals that soldiers were encouraged to be violent toward Palestinian detainees. He recalled being told, “Shut up, you leftist, these are Gazans, these are terrorists, what’s wrong with you?” when he questioned the abuse.
Detainees from Sde Teiman reported being subjected to relentless loud music in a room dubbed the “disco”, with one detainee saying, “The trance music is meant to psychologically weaken you before the investigation.”
Others described beatings, dog attacks, and electric shocks, with one stating, “Some people lost their hearing because blood came out of their ears due to the electric shocks.”
Medical neglect has also been widely reported. One autopsy found that a 20-year-old detainee with a medical condition requiring specialized care was denied treatment, leading to fatal complications.
Among those detained are healthcare workers, including prominent Palestinian doctors. Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, a respected surgeon, died in Ofer prison in April last year under unknown circumstances.
His widow, Yasmine, recounted accounts from his cellmates, “Before [Adnan’s] arrest, he weighed 90 kilograms, but his weight apparently dropped significantly to around 55 kg. He received very little food, just enough to keep him alive.”
Human rights groups estimate that at least 5,000 Palestinians are being held in administrative detention, without charge, trial, or access to evidence against them. Some detainees, including minors, have reportedly been brought before Israeli judges via video calls without legal representation.
