By Bond Robertson 
In a new report, the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem has accused Israel of systematically torturing Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli Prison Service and military reject the allegations by the Norwegian-backed Israeli human rights group, which published the 118-page report this week. Welcome to hell>.
At the same time, B'Tselem's director, Yuli Novak, came out strongly against the Israeli government. She believes that the government is cynically exploiting the collective trauma following the atrocities of October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel.
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“This government has taken us to an all-time low moral level. It is once again demonstrating its complete disregard for human life – whether it is the Israeli hostages in Gaza, the Israelis and Palestinians who have to live in a constant war, or the Palestinians held in torture camps,” Novak wrote in a press release on the report’s release.
The overall picture is of ill-treatment and torture carried out under orders, in complete violation of Israel's obligations under national and international law, the report states.
Welcome to hell>
According to B'Tselem, since October 7, Israel has been implementing a systematic policy in which thousands of Palestinian prisoners are subjected to abuse and torture.
– Sde Teiman camp is just the tip of the iceberg. Israeli detention centers have become a network of torture camps for Palestinians, B'Tselem wrote.
One can read in the report the testimonies of 55 Palestinians who were released from Israeli prisons and detention centers in recent months, most of them without any charges being brought against them. Among the prisoners were 30 from the West Bank, 21 from the Gaza Strip, and four from Israel.
– The testimonies clearly indicate a systematic and institutionalized practice with a focus on ongoing abuse and torture of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the report states.
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gross and indiscriminate violence
Testimonies reveal that Palestinians currently in Israeli prisons and detention camps are often subjected to gross and indiscriminate violence, sexual assault, and various forms of humiliation and degradation.
Many also say they were starved, prevented from maintaining good hygiene, suffered from lack of sleep, were denied medical treatment, and were restricted or punished for practicing their religion.
“At this time, thousands of Palestinians are being held in inhumane conditions and subjected to merciless abuse. Some do not know why they are being arrested, and many will be released without trial. When you enter the camp – regardless of who you are or why you are being held – you will be subjected to severe, deliberate, and continuous pain and suffering,” Novak wrote.
baseless accusations
The Israeli Prison Service rejects the accusations made by B'Tselem as baseless, and assures Agence France-Presse that the prisoners' basic rights are being met.
The Israeli army stresses that “any mistreatment of prisoners, regardless of whether it is related to arrest or interrogation, is illegal and contrary to military regulations.”
The IDF categorically rejects allegations of systematic abuse, including sexual assault, in its detention facilities, a statement said.
The number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons and detention camps has nearly doubled since before the war, reaching 9,623 at the beginning of July. About half of them have been imprisoned without a court order and without being informed of the charges against them, according to B’Tselem.
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A group of independent special rapporteurs commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council investigated the conditions in which Palestinian prisoners are held in Israel and concluded what they called “ Shocking picture ».
UN experts condemn the silence of the outside world and the “absolute impunity” they believe those responsible in Israel enjoy.
They also call for increased pressure on Israel until a system is reached that allows access to, monitoring and protection of Palestinian prisoners.
– What is needed now is nothing less than an independent international presence of human rights monitors. They must be the eyes of the world, as stated in the statement issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, among others.
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widespread abuse
UN-appointed experts point to numerous reports of widespread ill-treatment, torture, sexual assault and rape. At least 53 Palestinians are said to have died in the past 10 months as a result of the treatment they received.
The reports are based on interviews with Palestinian men and women who recount, among other things, how they were locked in cages, tied to beds blindfolded, and given diapers instead of access to a toilet.
The descriptions continue to say that they were deprived of proper health care, food, water and sleep, and were subjected to various forms of torture such as burning with cigarettes and electric shocks, including to the genitals.
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More reports
Earlier this year, alarm was also raised over Israeli torture of Palestinian prisoners.
In mid-July, Amnesty International released a report in which it interviewed 27 former prisoners of war, including five women and a 14-year-old boy, who described torture and other degrading treatment while in captivity.
“Our documents show how the Israeli authorities arbitrarily arrest Palestinian civilians in Gaza, then throw them into a virtual black hole without providing evidence that they pose a security threat,” said Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard.
Arrest of soldiers
Recently, the Israeli military police arrested nine Israeli soldiers accused of assaulting a Palestinian prisoner.
An Israeli military spokesman said the Israeli investigation was opened due to “suspicion of serious mistreatment of a prisoner at Sde Teiman prison.”
The arrest led to widespread protests from the far right in Israeli politics.