Palestinians seized from Gaza and placed in Israeli detention are enduring “the worst levels of torture and abuse” compared with other detainees, two prisoner rights monitors have said.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs have published a report collecting testimonies of lawyers of prisoners that showcase ongoing “severe crimes”.
Titled “Enduring Hell: Gaza Detainees Face Severe Israeli Torture and Terror Behind Bars”, the report is based on accounts from Ramla prison and the Sde Teiman military camp.
The testimonies from Ramla come specifically from the underground Rakevet section, where detainees are reportedly held in total isolation and subjected to psychological torture.
According to the monitors, several detainees appeared at meetings with their lawyers “weeping and terrorised”.
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In one case, a prisoner appeared severely beaten and unable to express what happened to him, communicating only with his eyes.
“His case is not isolated; all detainees showed severe psychological distress, with fear dominating the entire lawyers’ visit,” the rights groups said.
The Commission of Detainees and PPS note that all prisoners were subjected to beatings and threats before seeing their lawyers, with prison guards often forcing them to lie and say they were being kept in “excellent” conditions.
Meanwhile, lawyers are not allowed to share any information with the detainees regarding their relatives.
Finger-breaking, isolation and stress positions
The latest testimonies reveal Palestinians from Gaza are enduring torture methods including finger-breaking, isolation, humiliation and being placed in stress positions for long periods.
“The interrogation period stands out as one of the clearest reflections of the level of torture and grave violations inflicted by interrogators against detainees abducted from occupied Gaza,” the report said.
‘I was beaten daily for 30 days straight. I currently suffer from torn chest muscles’
– Prisoner ‘AY’
According to the monitors, the detainees are only allowed in the yard for 20 minutes every other day, and denied sunlight for the rest of the time.
One prisoner, identified as AY, said he was held in a cell for a month “without knowing day from night”.
“They would strap me to a chair and then throw me to the ground while my hands and feet were bound. I was beaten daily for 30 days straight. I currently suffer from torn chest muscles and severe pain due to prolonged shackling of my arms behind my back,” he is quoted as saying.
Another detainee, identified as YD, described violent interrogation methods, where he was placed in a “disco” room – where detainees are psychologically abused through blaring music – and forced into stress positions.
“The beating was so violent that my handcuffs came off twice… Now I suffer from rib fractures and I can’t sleep. The torture also caused a tear in my left ear, vision impairment, and kidney pain,” he said.
Some of the positional torture (stress positions) used against Palestinian detainees at Israeli interrogation centers#StopTortrue#TortureIsAWarCrime pic.twitter.com/KrTejeU0xM
— Addameer – الضمير (@Addameer) December 23, 2019
Detainee AB recalled similar abuse, noting that during his interrogation he was placed in the “banana” stress position and beaten.
“The interrogators would grab my testicles and beat me on them, trying to pressure me into confessing,” AB added.
Several former detainees have told the United Nations and the media that they were routinely beaten on their genitals or other sensitive parts of their body.
After AB’s transfer to Ramla prison, guards broke his fingers.
‘Famine’ in Israeli detention
The monitors said all the testimonies confirmed that prisoners endured starvation, with one describing it as a “famine”.
Food portions are extremely small and often inedible, with the amount of food given to several prisoners sharing a cell less than a meal for one person.
“Most are experiencing severe weight loss, emaciation, and extreme exhaustion, along with worsening illnesses and health conditions,” the report said.
Additionally, diseases and infections continue to torment prisoners, with scabies becoming one of the most pressing health issues among detainees.
The two monitors stressed that the prison system’s deprivation of basic hygiene and medical care is exacerbating the spread of diseases.