Gaza Herald_The testimonies emerging from Israeli prisons are not merely allegations of abuse; they are warnings to the world about what happens when journalists are treated as enemies rather than witnesses. If the accounts documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists are accurate, they reveal not isolated misconduct but a systematic effort to silence Palestinian voices through fear, humiliation, and physical destruction. At a time when Gaza has become one of the deadliest places on earth for reporters, these stories demand more than attention; they demand accountability.
Palestinian journalists detained by Israel have described systematic torture, sexual violence, starvation, and psychological abuse inside Israeli prisons, according to a report published Thursday by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The report, titled “We Returned From Hell,” is based on interviews with 59 Palestinian journalists detained since October 2023. All but one of those interviewed said they endured torture, abuse, or other forms of violence while in Israeli custody.
Allegations of Torture and Sexual Violence
According to the findings, detainees reported baton beatings, electroshocks, prolonged stress positions, and being forced to stand under sewage water. Two journalists said they were raped by Israeli guards.
One journalist, Sami al Sai, described being stripped and assaulted with a baton and other objects inside a small cell at Megiddo Prison, leaving him in what he described as a severe psychological state.
The report states that descriptions of sexual violence appeared repeatedly across testimonies, with detainees saying such assaults were intended to humiliate, terrorize, and inflict lasting trauma.
Former detainees also reported threats against their families, sleep deprivation through blaring music, and denial of urgent medical treatment, including care for broken bones and serious eye injuries.
Pattern, Not Isolated Cases
Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the consistency of the testimonies points to a broader pattern.
“When dozens of journalists independently describe physical and psychological abuse, the international community must take action,” she said.
CPJ reported that approximately 80 percent of those interviewed were held under administrative detention, meaning they were imprisoned without formal charges. One in four said they never met a lawyer during their detention.
Many described extreme hunger, surviving on moldy bread and spoiled food. CPJ reviewed photographs showing detainees with gaunt faces and visible rib cages, reporting an average weight loss of more than 23 kilograms per person.
Some detainees were reportedly transferred to Sde Teiman, which former prisoners referred to as “hell.” Imad Ifranji told CPJ, “We returned from hell,” describing conditions inside the facility.
Threats to Families
Journalist Amin Baraka said interrogators explicitly threatened his family because of his work with Al Jazeera.
He recounted that an Israeli soldier told him that Al Jazeera correspondent Wael al-Dahdouh had defied Israeli orders and remained in Gaza, and that his family was subsequently killed in an airstrike.
Al Dahdouh lost his wife, daughter, son, and grandson in an Israeli strike on Gaza. He was later wounded in another strike that killed his colleague Samer Abudaqa.
Deadliest War for Journalists
The report comes amid what press freedom groups have described as the deadliest period for journalists in modern history. Nearly 300 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 2023, according to monitoring organizations.
CPJ regional director Sara Qudah said the testimonies expose what she described as a deliberate strategy to intimidate and silence Palestinian journalists and undermine their ability to document events on the ground.
The Israeli government has previously denied systematic abuse of detainees, stating that its prison system operates according to the law. However, human rights advocates say the volume and consistency of allegations warrant urgent international investigation.
