The occupation's crimes against prisoners continue...torture and sadism that mimic genocide

Qadura Fares: The brutal campaign against prisoners is an official policy and an extension of the war of extermination on the Gaza Strip

Abdullah Al-Zaghari: An international investigation committee must be formed, and surveillance cameras in prisons can provide documented evidence.

Wissam Sahweil: 52 prisoners were martyred after October 7, including 35 from the Gaza Strip, as a result of torture, starvation, and medical neglect.

Hilmi Al-Araj: The international community must condemn these practices and statements and issue arrest warrants for all those involved

Issa Qaraqe: What is happening in prisons is torture with a vengeful, hateful and genocidal tone fueled by the official establishment.

Hassan Abd Rabbo: The atrocities and heinous crimes being committed confirm the moral and ethical decline of the Israeli occupation

Jamil Saadeh: We called on all human rights and international institutions to exercise their responsibilities in visiting prisoners and examining their conditions.

The rape of a Palestinian prisoner in the Sde Teiman camp has once again highlighted the torture, violations and brutal practices that Palestinian prisoners have been subjected to in the occupation’s prisons since October 7, especially the prisoners from the Gaza Strip who were taken from their homes, handcuffed and naked, and transported in military trucks en masse to secret detention camps, where they experienced all forms and types of torture, leading to the martyrdom of dozens of them.

Regardless of who leaked the video recording that documented the rape of the prisoner and the reasons behind it, it opened the file of mass arrests that affected thousands of people from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, who were detained in extremely difficult conditions, where they were subjected to abuse, beatings, starvation, torture and medical neglect, and were stripped of all the rights that the prisoner movement had won through its struggles over many decades. There is no need for investigations and investigators to confirm the nature of the conditions that prisoners suffer in prisons, as the features of those who regained their freedom or were released from prisons reveal the whole truth, from weakness and weight loss as if they were skeletons, in addition to memory loss, but what is frightening is what they tell of stories about what happens behind bars, and a phrase repeated by every released person from the West Bank is enough to know part of what the people of the Gaza Strip are exposed to in the occupation prisons, "Despite the harsh conditions in prisons, we are in a thousand blessings, compared to what our brothers, the prisoners from the Gaza Strip, are exposed to."

According to officials in institutions concerned with prisoners and human rights activists who spoke to Al-Quds.com, prisoners suffer from a blatant violation of their basic rights, including being deprived of food, clothing and personal hygiene, which reflects a widespread policy of torture linked to Israeli government policies.

They pointed out that the starvation policy causes a significant decrease in the prisoners’ weight, and it is a policy that coincided with the aggression and the war of extermination on the Gaza Strip, which reinforces the belief that there is a single decision behind the oppression practiced against the prisoners and the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in an unprecedented fascist statement: “The death of two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from starvation may be a just and moral reason for returning the Israeli prisoners,” which was met with international anger.

The number of prisoners in the occupation prisons until the beginning of August is more than 9,900, and this number does not include all the detainees from Gaza specifically who are being held in the camps affiliated with the Israeli occupation army.

Gross violations of prisoners' basic rights

Qadura Fares, head of the Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Affairs Authority, stressed that the Israeli practices against Palestinian prisoners are, in their precise description, crimes, especially in light of the blatant violation of the prisoners’ basic rights, such as obtaining food, clothing, and personal hygiene.

Fares said that Israel deprives prisoners of these basic rights that it is supposed to provide them according to international laws, but it continues to practice torture, starvation and intimidation against them.

Fares pointed out that this brutal campaign against the prisoners coincided with the aggression and war of extermination on the Gaza Strip, which means that there is a unified decision that combines the suppression of the prisoners, their starvation, and the atrocities committed in Gaza.

Fares explained that there is a close relationship between the policy of starvation against prisoners and what is happening in Gaza, which indicates that these measures are not spontaneous but are linked to specific government decisions.

Ben Gvir's statements against prisoners

Fares referred to the statements of the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, in which he spoke publicly and in audio and video, saying that “Palestinian prisoners deserve nothing more than a ‘bullet in their heads’,” considering that these statements reflect the occupation’s challenge to international laws and the global will, and highlight the level to which Israel has reached in disregard for international law and human rights.

Fares said that the Prisoners Affairs Authority has communicated with many countries, including the United States and European countries, regarding these violations, and despite these countries’ confirmation of making efforts, the situation has not changed significantly, as Israel continues its oppressive policies without any change.

Fares ruled out that Israel would back down from its oppressive policies, or that there would be a "conscious awakening" on its part, pointing out that these crimes have been ongoing for ten months, and that it is a policy supported by all the occupation institutions.

Fares stressed the need to form major international pressure to stop the violations against prisoners, pointing out that the continuation of the situation as it is without effective international intervention will lead to Israel continuing its repressive practices against prisoners.

Horrific torture methods that go beyond human reason

In turn, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Abdullah Al-Zaghari, said that the brutal torture methods and harsh practices carried out by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian prisoners in its prisons exceed all limits, adding: “The torture policy followed by the occupation relies on hideous methods that exceed the human mind, as torture is carried out as part of a systematic system implemented by the occupation system.”

Al-Zaghari referred to numerous testimonies from released prisoners who reported being subjected to various forms of systematic torture during all stages of detention, including physical and psychological torture, medical crimes, and the policy of starvation. He explained that these crimes led to the martyrdom of 21 prisoners whose names were identified.

Al-Zaghari referred in particular to the terrible conditions in the "Sde Teiman" camp, where prisoners are shackled by their hands and feet, and are subjected to abuse and torture, in addition to a number of them being subjected to harassment and rape.

He pointed out that the rape crime against one of the prisoners, which was documented in a video recording recently, is considered the height of ugliness and moral decadence in the treatment of Palestinian detainees.

Al-Zaghari pointed out that surveillance cameras in prisons could be an important tool and provide documented evidence in the event of a serious international investigation.

What the prisoners are exposed to is part of the genocidal war.

Regarding the starvation policy, Al-Zaghari said that it constitutes a form of revenge and constitutes a crime under international law, noting that prisoners are being stripped of their basic rights and living in conditions that are part of a silent genocide policy that includes repression, abuse, arrest, assassination and starvation.

He stressed that these violations were not seen on a daily basis, but they were clearly visible on the bodies of the prisoners after their release.

Al-Zaghari considered that this approach by the occupation aims to pressure the Palestinian people, whether through bombing, arrest, starvation, or other crimes.

He referred to the successive statements of the Israeli occupation government's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, which confirm that the occupation continues to commit these crimes without regard to international laws.

Criminal practices for the purpose of deterrence

Al-Zaghari stressed that the occupation is trying to complete the crimes it is committing in an attempt to impose a state of deterrence, but the Palestinian people have been exposed to all these crimes for 76 years and this has not deterred them from demanding their rights and freedom.

He pointed out that the Palestinian people have been subjected to genocide since October 7, and all of this has not prompted international institutions to intervene to bring justice to the Palestinian people.

Al-Zaghari called for the formation of an international investigation committee to stop these violations and put an end to the suffering of Palestinian prisoners, warning that the occupation will continue to commit its crimes unless decisive international measures are taken.

A flagrant violation of the Convention against Torture

As for the Director of the Research and Documentation Department at the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture, Wissam Sahweil, he said: The torture practiced by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian prisoners is a flagrant violation of the Convention against Torture, and when practiced on a large scale, it becomes a war crime.

Sahweil stressed that the crimes of starvation against prisoners in the occupation prisons constitute a flagrant violation of human rights.

Sahweil referred to a study conducted by the center on one hundred released prisoners, which shows that the starvation policy is practiced as a tool of torture, while the study showed that this policy greatly affects the prisoners, especially the sick among them, as 60% of the prisoners now suffer from various diseases as a result.

Starvation is a tool of torture.

Sahweil stressed that the statements of the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, about reducing and poor quality meals constitute an admission that starvation is a tool of torture.

Sahweil explained that the starvation policy is clearly evident on the bodies of the prisoners, as many of them look like skeletons, which proves that these practices are organized and that the occupation authorities use starvation as a tool of torture.

Sahweil said: According to the study, current methods of physical torture include beating with batons, slapping, and kicking, with 96 percent of prisoners being severely beaten, and 26 percent of them suffering fractures and bruises as a result of these practices.

He pointed out that torture includes different forms such as deprivation of hygiene, deprivation of sleep, hanging, nudity, severe beating, deprivation of food, and isolation, and in general, these are torture methods practiced systematically, which led to the emergence of health problems and diseases among them.

He explained that 52 prisoners were martyred after October 7, including 17 from the West Bank and 35 from the Gaza Strip, as a result of torture, starvation and medical neglect. Of these martyrs, only 21 names were identified.

Sahweil pointed out that the situation requires putting an end to torture, given that the Israeli occupation authorities do not care about international reactions.

Going to international courts

Sahweil stressed that these actions and practices by the Israeli occupation authorities can be presented as evidence in international courts, since torture is not subject to a statute of limitations, and accountability for it is not subject to a statute of limitations either.

Sahweil explained that the different forms of torture led to great psychological suffering among the prisoners, as 80% of them suffer from depression, and 30% of them need medical follow-up due to their severe depression, and the rehabilitation of these prisoners may take a period of up to a year.

He called for developing a comprehensive national plan between the government and relevant institutions to follow up on the crimes taking place in the Gaza Strip and in the cases of prisoners, whether in terms of their treatment or rehabilitation, as well as following up on their cases before international institutions and courts.

The starvation policy is the same in Gaza and the prisons

In turn, the director of the Center for the Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights "Hurriyat", Hilmi Al-Araj, said: The starvation policy implemented by Israel against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip applies completely to the prisoner movement.

He pointed out that all prisoners, including female prisoners, suffered a significant weight loss of up to 30 kilograms, and this change was evident in their bodies.

Al-Araj stressed that starvation is an official policy, and was announced by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who uses this weapon to deter and force prisoners to fear prisons.

He pointed out that starvation, torture and sexual assaults against prisoners, especially in the "Sde Teiman" camp, are part of an Israeli policy characterised by fascism and racism, amidst a disturbing international silence.

Al-Araj stressed that the statements of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in which he called for the extermination of two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, reflect the depth of racism and fascism in Israeli policy, in light of international silence on what is happening.

The world needs to stop double standards.

Al-Araj called on the international community to condemn these statements and practices, stop the double standards, take concrete decisions against Israeli officials and hold them all accountable, and for the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for all of them, not for the Prime Minister of the Israeli occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his Minister of War, Yoav Galant.

Al-Araj pointed out that the Hurriyat Center documented early, months ago, through eyewitnesses from released prisoners, all the violations committed against prisoners, and issued a fact sheet on this subject that was published in Arabic and English. The center’s documentation and warnings about what is happening to prisoners sparked great interaction.

Al-Araj demanded that the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture condemn torture crimes as they are war crimes that do not expire with time, while Al-Araj demanded that all free people in the world and the international judiciary bear international responsibility to stop this war.

Reveals the features of the war of extermination in prisons

Former Minister of Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqe told "I": What is happening in the prisons, where many crimes have been revealed in the recent period, including violence, torture, insults, rape and executions, is considered another aspect of the war of extermination being practiced against our people in the Gaza Strip and all the occupied Palestinian territories.

He added: The genocide was invisible in the prisons, but in recent months its features have been revealed due to the testimonies of the detainees who were released, as well as reports from human rights organizations, and some lawyers who spoke about terrifying and very frightening matters, sweeping violence and torture in order to kill, erase, and degrade the dignity of the prisoner, and humiliate him, and this is a type of genocide practiced against prisoners in the occupation prisons.

He considered that what is happening is not torture to extract information, nor is it punishing prisoners for actions they have committed, but rather there is comprehensive and vengeful torture of all Palestinian detainees with a vengeful, hateful and genocidal tone fueled by the official Zionist establishment and its ministers such as Smotrich and Ben Gvir, who called for executing prisoners and tightening the noose on them, and thus there is a systematic plan to carry out genocide and kill the largest possible number of detainees.

Qaraqe said that the institutions revealed that about 60 Palestinian prisoners were martyred since the beginning of October 7, including about 38 in the "Sde Teiman" camp, and perhaps the number is greater, and this is a massacre, and it has never happened in the history of prisons in the world.

Official systematic Israeli policy

In turn, the specialist in prisoners' affairs, Hassan Abd Rabbo, told "Y": The violations and crimes committed in the "Sde Teiman" prison against prisoners come within the framework of a systematic official Israeli policy led by Itamar Ben Gvir, and are also consistent with the vision of Smotrich, who calls for starving two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and all these measures aim to subjugate the Palestinian people and destroy their morale and will.

“The atrocities and heinous crimes committed confirm the moral and ethical decline of the Israeli occupation, which provides political and legal cover and immunity to those who commit such atrocities and crimes that are shameful to humanity,” Abd Rabbo added. “Ben Gvir considered those who carried out the gang rape of a detainee from the Gaza Strip in “Sde Teiman” to be heroes, in addition to the killings that led to the deaths of 40 prisoners in the “Sde Teiman” camp from the Gaza Strip, and about 21 martyr prisoners from other prisons affiliated with the Israeli Prison Service.”

Abdul Rabbo called for serious action and decisive international intervention to deter the Israeli occupation, hold it accountable, and question it for these crimes and not let it escape punishment.

Inhumane practices that we have never witnessed before

Jamil Saadeh, acting director general of legal affairs at the Prisoners’ Authority, told Al-Quds.com: “Through following up on arrest cases in general, we are witnessing the inhumane practices carried out by the prison administration or the occupation army for the first time. For years, we have been following up on prisoners’ cases in investigation and detention centers, courts, and prison visits, and we have not come across cases of torture and human rights violations like the cases we are witnessing now.”

He pointed out that there are violations of all international norms and laws that concern human rights, and we have called on all human rights and international institutions and the International Committee of the Red Cross to assume their responsibilities in order to visit the prisoners and check on their living and health conditions, but these institutions remain inactive towards these practices that relate to the prisoners of the Gaza Strip.

Regarding the prisoners from the West Bank, Saadeh said: Their lives have changed completely, especially after October 7, when they witnessed very tragic circumstances, represented by assault and beating of prisoners, abuse of them, and the confiscation of their belongings, such as clothes and medicines. Their lives have become torture inside the prisons.

His Excellency noted that the International Committee of the Red Cross has not visited prisoners since October 7, noting that the Committee’s primary work is to follow up on human rights issues in conflict zones, visit detainees and prisoners, and pressure the country detaining them to provide a decent life for detainees and issue reports that reassure families about their detained sons.