Rights Groups Document Systematic Torture of Palestinians in Israeli Prisons
B’Tselem and former detainees expose Israeli detention facilities as a network of torture camps marked by sexual violence, medical neglect, and total impunity
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Former Palestinian detainees have delivered harrowing testimonies detailing systematic torture and sexual violence inside Israeli prisons, exposing what rights groups describe as an institutionalised policy of abuse that has intensified since October 2023.
One former detainee, Sami al-Saei, said he was subjected to severe sexual abuse shortly after his detention in February 2024. He described being left injured, restrained, and denied medical care for weeks, while held without charge or trial until June 2025.
“I could not stay silent,” al-Saei said after publicly recounting his ordeal. “I have a moral responsibility to say what happened to me and other prisoners.” Despite social stigma, threats, and trauma, he shared his testimony to give voice to countless detainees unable to speak due to fear and psychological damage.
Another former detainee, Tamer Qarmut, said he was detained during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza in late 2023. He described being subjected to brutal treatment while in custody and held for nearly two years without trial before his release under a US-brokered deal.
B’Tselem: Israeli Detention System Operates as Torture Camps
The testimonies are detailed in a new report by the Israeli-based human rights organisation B’Tselem, which documents what it calls a “grave pattern of sexual violence” against Palestinians in Israeli custody.
According to the report, abuse includes humiliation, threats, severe physical torture, sexual violence, and the systematic denial of medical treatment. These practices were documented across multiple detention facilities and carried out by both civilian and military authorities.
B’Tselem stated that since October 2023, Israeli detention centers have been transformed into “a network of torture camps”, where extreme abuse is routine and unpunished.
“A space in which anyone who enters is condemned to deliberate, severe, and unrelenting suffering functions de facto as a torture camp,” the report stated.
The organisation documented at least 98 Palestinians killed in Israeli custody since October 2023, warning that the real number is likely far higher due to systematic opacity and the absence of independent oversight.
Many of those who died were young and had no prior medical conditions. Families report that bodies are frequently withheld, preventing burial and independent investigation.
Impunity Protected by Israeli and US Political Cover
Despite extensive documentation by medical professionals, UN bodies, and legal observers, accountability remains almost entirely absent.
In 2024, Israeli military prosecutors charged several soldiers over a widely exposed assault at the Sde Teiman detention facility, yet only one conviction has been recorded since October 2023.
Israeli government officials publicly defended the accused, while criticism focused largely on the exposure of the abuse rather than the crimes themselves—underscoring a system designed to protect perpetrators rather than victims.
Yuli Novak, Executive Director of B’Tselem, said the violence must be understood as part of a broader campaign of dehumanisation.
“The Israeli regime has turned its prisons into a network of torture camps for Palestinians, as part of a coordinated onslaught intended to destroy their existence as a collective,” she said. Novak added that despite rhetorical condemnations, the international community—led by the United States—continues to grant Israel full immunity.
The report calls for immediate international intervention, restoration of independent monitoring including access by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and full accountability for those responsible. Thousands of Palestinians remain detained, many without charge or trial, under conditions described as inhuman, including starvation rations, overcrowding, denial of hygiene, and the systematic withholding of medical care. (PW)