Outside Ofek Prison, in the West Bank, Palestinians who have been released from Israeli prisons have shared accounts of worsening abuses. The detainees described harsh treatment, frequent beatings, overcrowding, and the withholding of basic necessities. The conditions in the prisons, which have been crammed with thousands of detainees since the conflict in Gaza began 10 months ago, have significantly deteriorated.
Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have acknowledged that the conditions for Palestinian prisoners have been made harsher intentionally. Ben Gvir boasted that under his watch, prisons would no longer resemble “summer camps.” Palestinians who were recently released from prisons run by the ministry shared distressing experiences, with some emerging emaciated and emotionally scarred from months of captivity.
One released prisoner, Muazzaz Abayat, struggled to detail his ordeal after six months at Naqab prison in southern Israel. His cousin described him as frail, weakened, and unable to function normally, often hallucinating and experiencing shock from the torment he endured in captivity. Many detainees, like Abayat, were put under administrative detention, a practice that allows Israel to detain individuals indefinitely without charge.
Reports from human rights groups corroborate the accounts of released prisoners, detailing alleged abuses in Israeli detention facilities. Particularly alarming are reports from military facilities like Sde Teiman, where Israeli soldiers have been accused of mistreating Palestinian detainees. The soldiers deny the allegations of sexual abuse but have faced scrutiny over the treatment of prisoners.
The mistreatment and abuse of Palestinian prisoners have raised concerns among rights groups, prompting calls to shut down facilities like Sde Teiman. The military has begun transferring detainees to prisons run by Ben Gvir’s ministry, where conditions are reported to be equally traumatic. Reports from former detainees highlight beatings, overcrowded cells, minimal food, and inhumane treatment by guards in these facilities.
The National Security Ministry denied the claims of abuse from the released prisoners, stating that it follows basic rights for detainees and allows for complaints to be filed and examined. However, the ministry admitted to deliberately reducing conditions for Palestinian detainees to deter “terror activities.” The prison population has nearly doubled since the conflict began, with thousands of Palestinians detained from Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
Former detainees recounted challenges like hunger, minimal food portions, and harsh conditions imposed in the aftermath of the conflict. Many detainees, including alleged militants and individuals critical of Israel on social media, have been held in prisons with inadequate living conditions. Despite the hardships faced during their captivity, Palestinians expressed relief upon being released, savoring the taste of freedom and hoping to never return to prison.
The stories shared by released prisoners shed light on the harsh realities faced by Palestinians in Israeli detention facilities, raising concerns about human rights violations and the treatment of detainees. Advocacy groups continue to monitor the situation, urging authorities to uphold basic rights and improve conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
