Israel human rights NGO reports ‘systematic’ abuse, torture of Palestinians in prisons News
IDF Spokesperson's Unit, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Israel human rights NGO reports ‘systematic’ abuse, torture of Palestinians in prisons

A report released Tuesday by the Israeli rights group B’Tselem featured allegations of systematic abuse and torture of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli authorities. The report, titled “Welcome to Hell: The Israeli Prison System as a Network of Torture Camps,” is based on interviews with 55 Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Israel. These claims reveal a pattern of human rights violations including arbitrary violence and sexual abuse, since the onset of the Gaza war following Hamas’ attack on October 7.

B’Tselem’s report highlights a systemic policy oriented towards humiliating and degrading Palestinian prisoners. This mistreatment encompasses various aspects of prison life, including overcrowding in cells, lack of access to sunlight, and insufficient ventilation. The report details both physical and psychological abuse, including violence and intimidation, sleep deprivation, violence during transfers, and incidents of sexual violence. Furthermore, it addresses the deprivation of basic living conditions, such as the denial of medical treatment, food, and water, inadequate hygiene, and exposure to cold. The use of Keter, the Israel Prison Service Initial Reaction Force (IRF), is also scrutinized, as well as reports of deaths in custody and the conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners who hold Israeli citizenship.

The Israeli military and the Israel Prison Service denied these allegations when speaking to the BBC. These denials coincide with the recent arrest of nine Israeli soldiers accused of severe abuse, including sexual misconduct against a Hamas captive.

The B’Tselem report further challenges the narratives of Israeli authorities, claiming deliberate mistreatment allegedly directed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to reverse prior improvements in prison conditions.

The accusations come as the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released its own report on August 1 documenting severe human rights violations against Palestinian detainees by Israeli security forces, including arbitrary arrests and instances of torture and ill-treatment, in the context of escalating hostilities in Gaza from October 2023 to June 2024. The report highlights potential war crimes, such as acts of torture and sexual violence, and calls for investigations into these abuses.

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