Torture, murder, and rape—these are no longer mere allegations but documented practices corroborated by Palestinian survivors of Israeli detention centers.

The most recent leak aired by Israel’s Channel 12 revealed shocking footage of Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee in the Sde Teiman prison, infamously known as “Israel’s Guantanamo.”

This notorious prison, like others exposed in reports by organizations such as B’Tselem, subjects Palestinian detainees to severe torture and violations that have been classified as “war crimes.” Palestinians from Gaza are held under inhumane conditions, described in reports like B’Tselem’s titled “Welcome to Hell,” which sheds light on the dire situation in Israeli prisons since the onset of the war on October 7.

What Happens Behind Walls?

The current war on Gaza has garnered a different kind of media attention compared to previous conflicts. Social media platforms have played a crucial role in revealing the horrors endured by detainees. Israeli prisons are like black boxes—what happens inside remains hidden until a detainee is released. This is especially true given recent legal amendments that have made it nearly impossible for lawyers and international organizations to visit detainees.

Mahmoud Bahader’s Testimony

Mahmoud Bahader, 65, spent 7 months and 13 days in Israeli detention after an Israeli incursion into northern Gaza. From the moment of his arrest, he was beaten and transferred to barracks where detainees faced brutal physical and psychological torture, he recounted in an interview with Daraj.

Bahader recalls: “Israeli soldiers crammed around 30 detainees into a tent, with about 150 prisoners in every five tents. From the moment we arrived, the psychological warfare and physical abuse began. We were blindfolded, handcuffed, and shackled. Food was provided only once a day, and we were subjected to psychological games, with soldiers withholding water as they provided food. Restroom facilities were scarce, with water rarely available.”

He continues: “I was taken to the intelligence service for interrogation, where I faced severe torture on charges of affiliation with an organization, despite my old age. After seven rounds of interrogation, I was transferred to Negev prison, where we were regularly subjected to torture.”

Bahader describes how detainees were terrorized by Israeli soldiers, who unleashed dogs on them while they were confined in small, tightly-sealed rooms. Some detainees were mauled by the dogs, while others were sexually harassed by both male and female guards.

Tamer Obeid’s Testimony

Tamer Obeid, 31, was detained along with his six brothers and his 55-year-old mother from the Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

Obeid recounts that they were transferred to kibbutzim where they faced brutal torture and humiliation at the hands of Israeli soldiers. He also adds: “We were taken to the Negev prison, where the torture intensified. One of my brothers was tortured by having a rod violently inserted into his anus, causing severe injury. After we were released, he was immediately taken for treatment, while we were denied even basic medical care in the prisons.”

He continues: “Another of my brothers was traumatized after soldiers unleashed dogs on him in the bathroom, resulting in him being bitten. Meanwhile, I was severely beaten in the chest, leading to fractured ribs.”

The most horrific experience Obeid witnessed was the death of an elderly man in the detention center after being gang-raped by several soldiers. “He likely couldn’t withstand the ordeal,” says Obaid.

Adnan Al-Jamasi’s Testimony

Adnan Al-Jamasi from Gaza City was detained on December 16 and subjected to nearly every form of torture by the Israeli military and intelligence. After four months of torture and abuse, he was transferred to Negev prison. What stood out to him was that the soldiers who tortured him and other young men spoke Arabic fluently. He recounts: “One of the guards would often burn my beard with a cigarette until the skin on my face was scorched.”

Can Detainees Forget?

Thaer Shreiteh, spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Commission, reveals to Daraj that over 4,000 Palestinians were detained by the Israeli army during the war on Gaza, with around 1,500 released thus far. He notes that most of these detainees are held in Ofer, Negev, and other secret prisons.

Shreiteh states: “Our teams and commission lawyers have contacted many of the released detainees who have provided testimonies, and it’s evident that a large number of them were subjected to torture, starvation, and threats of rape.”

He adds: “Many detainees confirmed that they underwent amputations without anesthesia or proper medical staff, in addition to being terrorized by dogs and subjected to sexual assault with dogs while they were bound. Some detainees were thrown into rooms where the bodies of fellow detainees were kept.” Shreiteh emphasizes that these acts of torture are part of a broader strategy to “exact revenge on the Palestinian people.”

“War Crimes” and Retaliation Against Civilians

Alaa Skafi, Director of the Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights, states that under international humanitarian law and human rights law, Israeli prisons are committing violations and crimes that constitute “war crimes” under the Convention Against Torture, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and other binding international norms. These practices also violate the Convention Against Torture, to which Israel is a signatory.

Al-Sakkafi tells Daraj: “What detainees are subjected to amounts to a ‘crime against humanity,’ as stipulated in Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court established in 1998. The practices in Israeli prisons also constitute a violation of the Geneva Convention, which governs the laws of war.”

A report by Al-Dameer notes that Israeli authorities continue to conceal information about detainees who have been killed. Reports have surfaced revealing that dozens of detainees have died in camps and prisons without their families knowing their fate, and without the prison authorities disclosing the names of the deceased.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor expressed astonishment at the conflicting claims made by the Israeli army, which alleged that the detainees were fighters involved in a previous attack and were later released. The monitor dismisses this narrative as false and argues that it was used as an excuse for retaliatory actions against Palestinian civilians and assaults on their dignity.

The monitor also confirms that the torture and inhumane treatment carried out by the Israeli army are “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity.” It warns against involving Israeli civilians in such practices, considering it also a “war crime.”