USAID held meetings with Israeli officials at Sde Teiman torture camp
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At least 35 Palestinian detainees are believed to have died at the facility or in nearby hospitals as a result of the abuses at the Sde Teiman concentration camp.
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Israeli soldiers gather at the gate to the Sde Teiman concentration camp, as people protest in support of soldiers being questioned for raping Palestinian detainees, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov, File)
New revelations have emerged regarding the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) involvement in humanitarian efforts coordinated from an Israeli stronghold that also houses a notorious concentration camp for Palestinians.
The camp, Sde Teiman, located outside "Be'er Sheva" in southern occupied Palestine, is the center of a growing controversy over its reported use as a site for severe abuse and torture of Palestinian detainees.
According to a report by The Guardian, USAID officials attend daily meetings at Sde Teiman to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of the Joint Coordination Board (JCB), a hub that oversees the approval and logistics of aid operations.
However, the base also functions as a concentration camp where thousands of Palestinians have been subjected to extreme violence, torture, and rape.
Read more: Leaked video shows Israelis sexually assaulting Palestinian prisoner
Human rights organizations and whistleblowers describe horrendous conditions within Sde Teiman.
Detainees have reported rape, beatings, electrocution, and forced amputations, while others have been subjected to long-term handcuffing and solitary confinement.
At least 35 detainees are believed to have died at the facility or in nearby hospitals as a result of these abuses, according to reports.
Despite the facility’s reputation, USAID continues to work from this base as it coordinates with the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), the United Nations, and international NGOs to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
This situation has raised ethical concerns among USAID staff, some of whom have expressed discomfort with their presence at the site.
"It’s another form of psychological torture to make someone work there," one anonymous USAID official told The Guardian.
USAID employees condemn silence on Gaza
USAID has not commented on the specific location of its staff, citing security reasons.
In a statement, the agency said it was "working closely to ensure more effective dialogue between humanitarian partners and the Israeli government to improve the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of humanitarian movements into and throughout Gaza."
However, internally, USAID staff have been critical of the agency’s operations in Gaza.
Earlier this year, more than 70 employees sent a letter to USAID leadership, condemning its "silence on the suffering of Gaza" and urging stronger advocacy for the protection of civilian lives.
Another open letter signed by 128 staffers called for USAID to take a firmer stance on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
They asked USAID's global health leader, Atul Gawande, for "greater advocacy for the protection of civilian life and to salvage the little that remains of the health care system in Gaza."
Read more: USAID memo exposes Blinken's involvement in starving Palestinians
The relocation of the JCB from its previous location at Hatzor airbase to Sde Teiman has added to the criticism, with one USAID staffer calling it "trolling" and questioning why humanitarian operations were moved to a base associated with such significant human rights abuses.
Samantha Power, USAID Administrator, has been a vocal advocate for human rights throughout her career, but she has faced increasing scrutiny from her staff regarding the US' handling of aid coordination in Gaza.
"Israel’s" Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees the JCB, confirmed that the base hosts daily meetings with USAID, UN, and other humanitarian representatives.
A COGAT spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations of abuse at Sde Teiman.
Read more: 'Israel' rejects UN report on Gaza famine warning
While the Israeli regime has launched investigations into sexual abuse allegations involving soldiers at the base, human rights groups argue that little has been done to address the systemic mistreatment of detainees.
The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem reports that torture has become widespread in Israeli detention facilities since the escalation of the war on Gaza.
Israeli Military is routinely sexually assaulting Palestinian detainees. Human rights org B’Tselem released a report “Welcome to Hell”, exposing the Israeli prison system as “a network of torture camps.”
— Jewish Voice for Peace - Boston (@JVPBoston) August 10, 2024
This is Israeli policy, supported by the public at large. This is Zionism. pic.twitter.com/cMifsZjFgV
As the aggression on Gaza worsens, USAID continues to face mounting pressure to address not only the logistics of aid distribution but also the ethical implications of operating from a site tied to war crimes, given the US' complicity in Israeli war crimes.
