Content warning: this article contains discussion of rape and sexual violence that some readers may find upsetting

Documented Palestinian testimonies reveal the use of sexual violence, including rape, as a systematic means of torture inside Israeli prisons, in one of the most serious violations suffered by Palestinian prisoners since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, amid widespread international silence and accusations of political collusion that provides cover for the continuation of these crimes.

In exclusive testimonies published by Middle East Eye, two former Palestinian prisoners gave shocking accounts of sexual assault and physical and psychological torture inside Israeli detention centres. The prisoners emphasised that what they experienced cannot be classified as isolated incidents, but rather part of a systematic policy practised against prisoners, especially during the initial phase of detention, known among detainees as the ‘welcome party’.

Palestinian journalist: they raped me after a medical examination

Palestinian journalist Sami al-Sayegh, 44, from Tulkarm, said he was physically abused in the Israeli Megiddo prison after his arrest in February 2024, during a campaign of raids carried out by the occupation army in the West Bank following the war on Gaza. Al-Sayegh explained that he was held in administrative detention for 16 months without charge or trial.

He noted that a few days after his arrest, he was transferred to a clinic inside the prison, where he could hear the screams of prisoners being tortured in neighbouring rooms. According to his testimony, the prison doctor gave him a quick examination before the guards were asked to take him away. He was then blindfolded, handcuffed and taken to a closed room where, according to his account, he was beaten, insulted, threatened and sexually assaulted while a number of guards watched and laughed.

Al-Sayegh added that one of the guards threatened to attack members of his family, saying that what was happening ‘would affect all journalists.’ He said he felt his life was at stake, suggesting that the incident had been documented after he heard one guard ask another to stop filming.

‘Welcome party’: systematic torture upon entering prison

According to Al-Sayegh, prisoners call the pattern of violent torture that many detainees are subjected to upon their arrival in Israeli prisons a ‘welcome party,’ which includes severe beatings, humiliation, and sexual assault. He said that what he experienced was only a small part of what he heard from prisoners from the Gaza Strip, emphasising that the level of violence had reached unprecedented levels. He also stressed that most of these violations are committed by prison guards, and not only during interrogation.

In another testimony, a former Palestinian prisoner from the West Bank, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that occupation soldiers sexually assaulted him using a dog inside a prison. He explained that the guards broke into his cell at dawn, tied him up along with a number of other prisoners, and then took him to a place away from the surveillance cameras, where he was beaten and stripped of his clothes before the assault was carried out.

He added that the soldiers assaulted him again when he screamed, before leaving him for hours in the prison yard in harsh conditions. He said that the moment was indescribable, emphasising that the sexual assault was part of a wider system of torture.

The prisoner noted that violations inside prisons also include deliberate starvation, deprivation of water, medical neglect, severe overcrowding, and the spread of untreated diseases. He noted that prisoners received very limited amounts of food, not exceeding about 700 grams per day, without basic nutrients, which led to a deterioration in their health.

Direct accusations and political cover for Israeli prisons

Al-Asir pointed out that violations inside prisons also include deliberate starvation, deprivation of water, medical negligence, severe overcrowding, and the spread of untreated diseases. He noted that prisoners were given very limited amounts of food, not exceeding about 700 grams per day, without basic nutritional elements, which led to a serious deterioration in their health.

The prisoner confirmed that Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Ofer Prison in July 2024, coinciding with the storming of prisoners’ cells by guards who assaulted them with batons. He said he saw Ben-Gvir directing the guards and laughing, describing the scene as akin to direct supervision of torture.

These testimonies are consistent with UN investigations and reports accusing Israel of using sexual violence as a ‘weapon of war’ aimed at subjugating Palestinians and destroying their social fabric. The Israeli organisation B’Tselem has also described prisons as a ‘network of torture camps,’ documenting cases of rape and sexual assault committed by soldiers and guards against Palestinian prisoners, in the absence of accountability and the continuation of violations.

By Alaa Shamali

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