Inside Israel’s torture, rape, and dehumanization centers

Shocking even by Israeli standards, the horrifying truth of the occupation’s systematic torture, rape, and degradation of Palestinian detainees reveals a brutality buried in silence.

By Robert Inlakesh

August 13, 2024

While the world witnesses the atrocities and massacres committed by Israel’s military assault on Gaza every day, the thousands of Palestinians detained by occupation forces – before and after the events of 7 October 2023 – face torture and death behind closed doors, alone.

Worse yet, these detention horrors have been brazenly publicized and even bragged about by occupation soldiers, with violent, vocalized support from wide swathes of Israeli society.

In the shadows of Israel’s prisons, tens of thousands of Palestinian detainees are enduring a relentless campaign of cruelty. Reports detail harrowing accounts of beatings, gang rape, and psychological torture, compounded by the denial of essential needs such as food, water, and medical care.

This systematic abuse, carried out on an industrial scale, is staggering in its scope and savagery. Public protests have emerged – not to condemn these atrocities – but to demand the release of Israeli soldiers implicated in acts of sexual violence so severe that their victim tragically died from the injuries inflicted.

Secrecy and suffering inside Israeli prisons

Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, issued a dire warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in June, describing the situation in Israeli prisons as a “ticking time bomb,” which may endanger senior Israelis abroad and expose them to “international tribunals.”

Bar’s letter revealed that over 21,000 Palestinian detainees were being held, far exceeding official figures and the capacity of the centers.

Rather than addressing these concerns, Israel’s extremist Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, who has barred Red Cross and humanitarian access to Palestinian detainees, responded by boasting about his role in worsening conditions for prisoners.

A policy paper from the Institute for Palestine Studies highlighted the draconian measures implemented as early as 17 October – a mere 10 days after the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. These measures included:

Constricting living spaces; removing detainees’ beds when necessary and replacing them with mattresses on the floor, leading to overcrowding; a policy of ‘closures’ whereby prison cells are locked, and total isolation is imposed; closing prisons to all family visits or visits by the Red Cross or by lawyers, and rescinding the possibility of bringing detainees before judges so that all judicial sessions are conducted through video conference.

PDF: RI13.8.2024

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Amir Mortasawi (alias Afsane Bahar) (امیر مرتضوی (افسانه بهار

Inside Israel’s torture, rape, and dehumanization centers. By Robert Inlakesh (August 13, 2024)

Inside Israel’s torture, rape, and dehumanization centers

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Inside Israel’s torture, rape, and dehumanization centers

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