Gaza Herald- When Israel launched its assault on Gaza in October 2023, another war began out of sight, one fought inside prison walls. Alongside the genocide in Gaza, Israel has unleashed a campaign of mass arrests and systematic torture against Palestinian prisoners, in some cases leading to deaths in custody.
Human rights groups have long documented Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, but the scale and brutality have escalated sharply since October 7. Arrests, custodial deaths, and testimonies of abuse have surged to unprecedented levels. Both international and Israeli organizations have sounded the alarm, with B’Tselem describing the prisons as “torture camps.”
Now, nearly two years into the war, reports of killings, starvation, and torture continue to emerge from detention centers. Since the start of the war, Israel has also barred the International Committee of the Red Cross from visiting Palestinian prisoners, cutting off the last avenue of independent monitoring.
No prisoner has been spared. Even Marwan Barghouti, perhaps the most prominent Palestinian political figure in Israeli custody, has been humiliated. A video released last week showed him frail and pale, dressed only in an undershirt, as far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appeared to threaten him in his cell.
Despite mounting evidence and international condemnation, Israeli authorities continue to conceal the conditions and fate of many detainees, especially those abducted from Gaza. Thousands have been labeled “unlawful combatants,” leaving their whereabouts and treatment completely hidden from the outside world.
The Numbers Behind the Arrests
Since October 2023, Israeli forces have carried out roughly 18,500 arrests across the occupied territories, including more than 570 women and 1,500 children, according to Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups. This equates to over 800 arrests each month, levels not seen since the Second Intifada.
Currently, an estimated 10,800 Palestinians are being held across 23 prisons and interrogation centers, more than double the number before October 7. This does not include those held in secret military camps, particularly thousands taken from Gaza, whose numbers remain unconfirmed.
As of July, at least 49 women and 450 children remain in custody. Some 3,613 are being held under administrative detention, without charge or trial. Another 2,378 detainees, including individuals seized from Lebanon and Syria, have been categorized as “unlawful combatants.” Rights groups say this is the largest number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody since the early 2000s uprising.
Patterns of Abuse
Palestinian detainees have reported systemic abuse that rights groups say amounts to war crimes. Testimonies collected by Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, and other groups point to starvation, denial of medical care, beatings, humiliation, sexual assault, theft of property, and mass solitary confinement.
In August 2024, B’Tselem accused the government of implementing a blanket policy of torture and dehumanization in all detention centers.
Some of the most disturbing accounts involve sexual violence. Former detainees told the UN and journalists that they were strip-searched, assaulted on their genitals, and subjected to invasive procedures involving metal objects. One recently released prisoner alleged he witnessed multiple rapes and said Israeli forces even used dogs to sexually assault inmates.
Israel denies systemic abuse, but rights groups continue to demand independent investigations, particularly for detainees held without charge, contact with families, or access to lawyers.
Doctors and Journalists Targeted
Among those targeted are doctors, first responders, journalists, and activists, who often face harsher treatment.
In August 2024, Human Rights Watch reported that Israel arbitrarily detained and tortured dozens of Palestinian healthcare workers abducted from Gaza. At least 360 medical workers have been seized, including Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, detained in December during a raid. He has since been subjected to isolation and repeated beatings, his lawyer says.
Another prominent figure, Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, a renowned surgeon and professor, died in Israeli custody after being abducted. Reports later confirmed he had suffered extreme physical, psychological, and sexual torture before his death.
Journalists, too, have been heavily targeted. Since October, nearly 200 media workers have been detained, at least 55 of whom remain imprisoned. Many are held under administrative detention based on undisclosed “secret files.”
Senior Palestinian leaders, including Abdullah Barghouti, Hasan Salameh, and Ibrahim Hamed, have also been singled out for especially harsh treatment, enduring prolonged solitary confinement and repeated abuse.
Deaths in Custody
At least 76 Palestinian detainees have been confirmed dead in Israeli custody since October 7, though rights groups believe the actual number is higher. Many of those killed were young and previously healthy, like 20-year-old Ahmed Tazaza from Jenin.
Authorities refuse to release details about the deaths, and no Israeli official has been held accountable. Human rights groups cite torture, medical neglect, poor sanitation, and starvation as the main causes of the rising death toll, which has left families searching for answers and closure.
Children Behind Bars
The crackdown has also swept up hundreds of Palestinian children. At least 450 minors are currently in Israeli prisons, some as young as 12.
Testimonies show that children are subjected to starvation, beatings, and degrading treatment. Some have been released with visible injuries and bloodstains still on their clothing.
In November 2023, Israel passed a law allowing the imprisonment of children as young as 12. Courts can now order minors to serve time in adult prisons for up to 10 days if deemed a “threat.”
Save the Children notes that Palestinian children are the only children in the world who are systematically prosecuted in military courts, with at least 10,000 tried over the last two decades.
Administrative Detention
Nearly one-third of Palestinian prisoners are held under administrative detention, a system that permits imprisonment without charge or trial based on “secret evidence.” Orders are typically three to six months long but can be renewed indefinitely.
The practice has surged since October, affecting women and children as well. In March, 14-year-old Muin Ghassan Fahed Salahat became the youngest administrative detainee on record.
Lawyers report growing restrictions that block them from accessing clients or reviewing evidence, effectively eliminating any possibility of a legal defense.
The “Unlawful Combatant” Law
Since October, Israel has expanded the use of the “unlawful combatant” law, originally introduced in 2002, to detain Lebanese citizens indefinitely. It is now being used to hold thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, as well as some abducted from Lebanon and Syria.
Amendments passed in December 2023 gave the military sweeping powers: people can now be detained without court approval for 45 days, denied legal access, and disappear without any disclosure of their location or conditions.
Today, at least 2,378 Palestinians are imprisoned under this law, many held in secret facilities like the notorious Sde Teiman camp, where some of the worst cases of torture have been reported.
