The Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights announced a disturbing discovery regarding Israeli occupation prisons, revealing that the Israeli army invited groups of Israeli civilians to attend interrogation sessions with Palestinian prisoners to witness and document the torture they endure.
The observatory received shocking testimonies from recently released Palestinian prisoners and detainees, confirming that the Israeli army summoned Israeli civilians, ranging from 10 to 20 individuals per group, to witness the torture and harsh treatment they were subjected to.
The testimonies revealed that the prisoners were held in detention centers in the “Zikim” area and the “Negev” prison, where they were beaten with metal rods and electric sticks, had hot water poured on their heads, all while Israeli civilians watched and filmed the crimes on their mobile phones.
According to the observatory, the prisoners were stripped naked and tortured openly with the participation of Israeli civilians, who directed beatings and insults at them in Arabic.
The Mediterranean Observatory stated that this is the first time such illegal practices have been exposed, with torture being carried out in the presence of Israeli civilians who were allowed to document it on their phones while mocking the prisoners.
Terrifying Testimonies
Palestinian Omar Abu Madalla (43 years old), in an interview with the Mediterranean team, recounted being arbitrarily detained near the Kuwait Junction, separating Gaza City from the central region, where he endured torture and mistreatment for approximately 52 days, with Israeli soldiers bringing civilians to witness their nude torture.
Abu Madalla mentioned that the Israeli soldiers filmed the torture and mistreatment, alleging they were “Hamas saboteurs” who had killed and raped their relatives.
He emphasized the severe physical and psychological torture he and his colleagues experienced, denouncing the presence of Israeli civilians documenting the torture with false claims by soldiers that they had killed and violated their relatives as despicable and disgraceful.
Citizen “D.H” (42 years old) also provided his testimony of the tragic conditions he and his colleagues faced during their detention, where the Israeli army initiated mistreatment in the presence of civilians.
Some brought their dogs to bark at the prisoners, filming them on social media platforms like TikTok.
A New War Crime
The Mediterranean Observatory expressed astonishment at the conflicting claims by the Israeli army, alleging that the detainees were fighters involved in a previous attack and later released, considering this narrative misleading and incorrect, used for revenge against Palestinian civilians and attacks on their dignity.
The observatory affirmed that the Israeli army’s acts of torture and inhuman treatment constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. They warned against involving Israeli civilians in such practices, deeming it a war crime.
The observatory highlighted the tragic legal situation faced by Palestinian detainees in Gaza, subjected to arbitrary detention without charges or trial, deprived of their legal rights, denied a fair trial, subjected to enforced disappearance, torture, and inhumane treatment.
The observatory reiterated its call to the International Committee of the Red Cross to inspect the detention centers and prisons where Palestinian prisoners and detainees are held, investigate the violations and horrific crimes they endure, and immediately reveal their fate.
The Israeli practices against Palestinian detainees contradict international treaties and norms, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibits the transfer of prisoners from occupied territories to detention centers in the occupying power’s territories, and prohibits enforced disappearances, torture, and assaults on human dignity.
This new crime adds to a long list of violations Palestinians suffer at the hands of the Israeli army in Gaza and other Palestinian regions, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, denial of fair trial, torture, and brutal treatment.
