Torture, sexual violence against Palestinian detainees ‘war crimes’, Amnesty says

Israel’s inhumane treatment of Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman detention centre in southern Israel, including torture and sexual violence, are “war crimes,” according to an official of Amnesty International.

“In its recent research, Amnesty International documented the harrowing torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman military camp and other detention facilities,” Sara Hashash, deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, told Anadolu.

Hashash added that in the context of an armed conflict, torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, are “war crimes”.

She said the organisation interviewed 27 former detainees – all civilians arrested from the occupied Gaza Strip – including 20 men, six women and one child, who were held for periods ranging from two weeks to up to 140 days in military or Israeli Prison Service-run detention facilities.

“All of them said that during their incommunicado detention, Israeli military, intelligence and police forces subjected them to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” she added.

Those held at the notorious Sde Teiman military camp said they were “blindfolded and handcuffed for the entire time” they were detained there, she added.

She said they described being forced to remain in stress positions for long periods and being prevented from talking to one another or raising their heads.

These accounts are consistent with findings of other human rights organisations and the UN bodies as well as numerous reports based on accounts of whistleblowers and released detainees, she added.

Regarding the reported gang-rape of a Palestinian detainee at the facility, she said the incident provided further evidence of the horrifying torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees that Amnesty International has already documented in its recent research.

READ: Israel extends detention of 5 soldiers accused of sexually assaulting Gaza prisoner

Due to Israel’s poor track record on impartial investigation, she said there must be an independent investigation by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Prosecutor’s office to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice and to deter future violations.

She highlighted the urgent need for Israel to grant immediate access for independent monitors to places of detention.

“Amnesty International is calling on the ICC’s Prosecutor’s office to urgently investigate all allegations of torture, including sexual violence, against Palestinian detainees. The Israeli judiciary has a terrible record of failing to credibly investigate torture allegations by Palestinians,” she added.

The international community must also demand that the Israeli authorities grant “immediate and unrestricted access” for independent monitors to all places of detention to assess conditions, she added.

On Sunday, an Israeli military court extended the detention of five soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee from Gaza at Sde Teiman detention centre in the Negev desert in southern Israel, local media reported.

On 29 July, Israel’s official broadcasting authority KAN reported that ten Israeli soldiers had been detained after causing serious injuries to the Palestinian detainee; five were later released.

Several reports have surfaced of severe abuses against Palestinian detainees at the notorious prison since the beginning of Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army is believed to have detained thousands of Palestinians, including women, children, and medics since 7 October last year. In recent months, the army has released dozens of Palestinian detainees from Gaza in deteriorating health conditions, with their bodies bearing the scars of torture.

In its latest report, Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said at least 60 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since 7 October 2023, including about 48 people from Gaza. The report said that detainee testimonies demonstrate “a systemic, institutional policy focused on the continual abuse and torture of all Palestinian prisoners”.