Gaza Herald_ Palestinian prisoner advocacy organizations have accused Israeli authorities of operating a systematic torture regime against Palestinian detainees, particularly those arrested from the Gaza Strip, describing Israeli prisons as centers of abuse where torture, starvation, medical neglect, and enforced disappearance have become institutionalized practices.
The statements were issued to coincide with the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, observed annually on June 26, as Palestinian organizations renewed calls for international intervention and accountability.
Gaza Detainees Face the Harshest Conditions
Abdullah Al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, said that monitoring the conditions of detainees from Gaza remains one of the greatest challenges facing human rights organizations due to the severe restrictions on information and Israel’s continued policy of enforced disappearance.
According to Al-Zaghari, thousands of Palestinians arrested during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza have been subjected to extreme abuse that goes far beyond isolated acts of violence.
He said torture has evolved into an organized system directed through political and military institutions, involving prison guards, military officers, judges, and medical personnel who allegedly participate in or facilitate abusive practices against detainees.
“The suffering experienced by Gaza’s prisoners is unlike anything imaginable,” Al-Zaghari said, emphasizing that torture has become an established policy rather than individual misconduct.
Thousands Arrested Since the War Began
Al-Zaghari estimated that approximately 20,000 Palestinians from Gaza have been detained since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign.
Many were arrested during large-scale ground operations or at military checkpoints, including men, women, and children.
Former detainees have described widespread physical abuse during arrest and interrogation, while numerous testimonies allege severe torture, degrading treatment, sexual violence, and rape inside Israeli detention facilities. Rights organizations say dozens of detainees have died as a result of torture and mistreatment.
Prisons Become Part of Gaza’s Wider Catastrophe
Al-Zaghari argued that the issue of Palestinian prisoners can no longer be viewed as a separate human rights concern but must instead be understood as part of the broader campaign targeting the Palestinian people.
He said Israeli prisons have become one of the central arenas where Palestinians experience systematic killing, starvation, medical neglect, torture, enforced disappearance, and other forms of abuse.
According to him, these policies form part of a broader pattern affecting Palestinians’ lives, dignity, and future.
Prisoner Organizations Describe Institutionalized Abuse
In a joint statement, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, and the Palestinian Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association said thousands of Palestinian political prisoners continue to endure daily torture and inhumane treatment inside Israeli prisons and military detention camps.
The organizations said that since the beginning of the war on Gaza, Israeli detention facilities have become a central component of what they describe as Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.
They stated that prison authorities have implemented systematic policies involving starvation, humiliation, dehumanization, denial of medical treatment, and deliberate infliction of severe physical and psychological suffering.
According to the organizations, these practices affect all categories of detainees, including children, women, elderly prisoners, wounded detainees, and those suffering from chronic illnesses.
Torture Methods Continue to Expand
The organizations said the level of abuse documented since October 2023 exceeds conventional understandings of torture due to both its scale and brutality.
They argued that torture is no longer limited to isolated incidents but has become an official policy implemented across multiple branches of Israel’s detention system.
Documented testimonies indicate that abuse often begins immediately upon arrest and continues throughout detention.
Reported methods include prolonged stress positions, electric shocks, burns caused by boiling water and chemicals, removal of fingernails, extended sleep deprivation, denial of food, water, medical care, and access to sanitation facilities.
Former detainees also described exposure to loud noise, repeated humiliation, forced degrading positions, and documented cases of sexual assault and rape.
Starvation and Disease Worsen Conditions
The organizations warned that widespread hunger, medical neglect, and deteriorating sanitary conditions inside Israeli prisons have fueled the spread of infectious diseases, including scabies.
They added that photographs, videos released by Israeli soldiers, and testimonies from released prisoners provide substantial evidence supporting allegations of systematic torture and degrading treatment.
The organizations argued that documented sexual violence and abuse may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law due to their widespread and systematic nature.
Gaza Survivors Describe “Slow Death”
According to testimonies gathered from Palestinians released after detention in Gaza, Israeli military camps have become places of organized torture and what former detainees describe as “slow death.”
Rights groups said survivors consistently recount severe physical abuse, prolonged deprivation, psychological trauma, and conditions that threaten prisoners’ lives daily.
International Silence Under Fire
The organizations noted that United Nations bodies and numerous international human rights organizations have previously documented torture inside Israeli detention facilities.
However, they argued that the international community’s failure to ensure accountability has allowed these violations to continue unchecked.
They warned that ongoing diplomatic protection and the absence of meaningful consequences encourage further abuses against Palestinian detainees while reinforcing a climate of impunity.
The organizations concluded by urging immediate international action to protect Palestinian prisoners, investigate allegations of torture and abuse, and hold those responsible accountable under international law.
