Israeli prisons are facing a crisis as the number of Palestinian detainees has doubled to around 10,000 since October, overwhelming the system. A report by B’tselem, Israel’s leading human rights organization, titled “Welcome to Hell”, details the horrific conditions inside these prisons, describing them as torture camps.
The report contains testimony from 55 recently released Palestinian detainees, all of whom recount stories of ongoing abuse, daily violence, physical and mental torture, and humiliation. The situation has dramatically worsened since the start of the Gaza war 10 months ago, with overcrowded, filthy cells and inmates forced to sleep on the floor without basic necessities.
One former detainee, Firas Hassan, describes the brutal treatment he endured, including severe beatings and starvation. Another, Sari Khourieh, an Israeli Arab lawyer, recounts the lawlessness and abuse he witnessed during his brief time in prison.
The Israeli Prison Service denies the allegations of abuse, but the International Committee of the Red Cross has been denied access to Palestinian detainees, in violation of international law. The government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been accused of consciously defying international law by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
The treatment of Palestinian prisoners has sparked public outrage, with far-right demonstrators violently protesting the arrest of soldiers accused of abusing a prisoner. Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees the prison service, has been criticized for the deteriorating conditions for detainees.
For B’tselem, the treatment of prisoners is a dangerous indicator of Israel’s moral decline. The trauma and anxiety of recent events have taken a toll on the nation, but allowing inhumane treatment of prisoners is seen as tragic by human rights advocates.
