The Commission of Prisoners' Affairs and the Prisoners' Club published new testimonies of detainees from Gaza in the Negev Desert Prison, about horrific and difficult details that they were subjected to during their arrest and during the investigation period - which was the most intense - as it once again reflected the level of brutality practiced by the occupation system against detainees in an unprecedented manner in terms of level and intensity, since the beginning of the war of extermination.

The detainees focused on the continued spread of scabies, which the prison system uses as a tool of torture against them. The majority of those who were visited had their bodies covered in boils, and they came to the visit shivering from the cold, especially since some of them were being held in the tent section.

The Commission and the Club confirmed that these testimonies are part of dozens of testimonies that reflect the same level of systematic torture and abuse, specifically against the detainees of Gaza. These testimonies also come with the increasing number of martyrs among the detainees, specifically among the detainees of Gaza, as the number of martyrs of the prisoner movement since the beginning of the war of extermination has reached 54 martyrs, only their identities are known, while dozens of the martyred detainees from Gaza are still subject to enforced disappearance.

They explained that the testimonies attached below are an indication of the possibility of more Gaza detainees rising, in light of the dangerous and difficult circumstances of their detention, through which the occupation aims to liquidate and kill them systematically.

Among the testimonies is one of the detainees who refers to the difficult situation that the martyr Ashraf Abu Warda, who was martyred on 12/29/2024, was suffering from.

New testimonies of ongoing atrocities against Gaza detainees

The detainee (M. R.) said: “I was arrested from the safe passage in the city of Sheikh in March 2024. From the first moment of my arrest, I was subjected to all forms of torture and abuse. I saw death a thousand times. Then I was transferred to one of the camps in the Gaza Strip, and I remained there for 82 days. During my detention, I remained handcuffed and blindfolded for 24 hours a day, prohibited from moving. The detainee had to sit for 16 hours a day and was prohibited from speaking.

During the investigation period, I was subjected to severe torture, which prompted him to ask them to write a statement that suited them so that he could sign it. Today, in the Negev prison, the situation is very difficult and tragic, due to the continued spread of scabies, and most of the prisoners suffer from infections and boils and cannot sleep because of the severity of the itching.

The detainee (M.H.) said: “I was arrested from Kamal Adwan Hospital, and during the first days of my detention I was subjected to all forms of torture and abuse. “They slaughtered us with beatings for an entire day.” Then I and other detainees were transferred to another place, and they threw sewage water on us and urinated on us. Then we were transferred to a camp for 27 days. During this period of my detention, I remained on my knees the entire time, blindfolded, and bound by my hands and feet. Then we were transferred to the Negev prison, and today we are experiencing slow death every moment.”

It is noteworthy that the detainee (M. H.) attended the visit, according to the lawyer, in torn and very light clothes, despite the bitter cold sweeping through the Negev desert prison, and his body was covered with boils due to scabies.

In another statement by the detainee (H.R.): “I was arrested from inside Kamal Adwan Hospital in November 2024, then I was transferred to one of the camps in the Gaza Strip, where I remained for 30 days, during which I was subjected to all forms of torture and interrogation around the clock, and they deliberately threw hot water at me, and after that I was transferred to the Negev prison, where I suffer, like most prisoners, from scabies. My body is covered with boils, and I cannot sleep from the severity of the pain.”

In another testimony by the detainee (A. N.), he said: “Death is more merciful than what we are experiencing in prison. Even today, despite the onset of winter, the prisoners are still wearing their summer clothes. We suffer from severe cold, hunger, and diseases without exception, specifically due to the spread of scabies. I also contracted other diseases due to the harsh prison conditions.”

Detainee (J.S.) said: “I have been suffering from scabies for several months, and boils cover my body. Today, I cannot stand or walk easily. I also suffer from other diseases and health problems. My condition has worsened due to the torture and severe beatings. I have started bleeding because of what I have been exposed to.”

He pointed out that Ashraf Abu Warda, who was martyred on December 29, 2024, was in the same cell with him, and he confirmed that his condition was very difficult, as he lost the ability to speak, remember, and stand on his feet, noting that this visit took place two days before his martyrdom.

In the same context, detainee (S.A.) stated: “The prison administration intentionally takes away the mattresses every morning and returns them in the evening, despite the bitter cold. Sometimes, it also intentionally punishes them by delaying the return of the mattresses until midnight.” This was also indicated by other detainees who were visited.

Attached are the names of detainees held in the Negev prison, according to the testimonies of those who were visited:

The brothers Ibrahim and Magdy Ismail Azzam, Omar and Musa Al-Brim, Nafeth and Nader Qadih, Naji Asfour, Saeed Breim, Mahmoud Al-Faqawi, Ismail Abu Saydo, Muhammad Qadih, Nidal Omeish, Khalil Abu Rajila, Hatem Al-Shawaf, Abdul-Muati Asfour, Ahmed Abu Rajila, Moamen Samara, Khader Muslim, Abdul-Rahman Saad, Muhannad Abu Madi, Rami Shanghli, Thaer Al-Abbadi, Shaher Al-Abbadi, Yaqoub Al-Kahlout, Adi Katkat, Yousef Jarso, Mosaab Freij, Essam Al-Daramseh, Muhammad Abu Al-Maazah, Muhammad Zuhair Al-Kahlout, Muhammad Ali Banat, Abdul-Rahman Ziara, Ahmad Badawi, Ibrahim Al-Nahhal, Daoud Al-Argham, and Abdullah Darwish.