The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has published a major new report documenting how the Israeli prison system has become “a network of torture camps,” where physical, psychological and sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners is normalized and routine.
The report, titled “Welcome to Hell,” collects the testimony of 55 Palestinians who were detained by Israeli authorities since October 7 and later released, almost all without charges. This comes as a group of U.N. experts condemned the widespread torture of Palestinians and as Israel’s Channel 12 News aired shocking footage of Israeli soldiers sexually abusing a prisoner at the Sde Teiman army base, where thousands of detainees from Gaza are held.
Sarit Michaeli, the international advocacy lead for B’Tselem, says the abuse in Israeli prisons is “systemic, ongoing and state-sanctioned,” reflecting the cruelty and thirst for revenge among a growing number of Israelis. “They would like to have a completely open field in terms of what they can do to Palestinians,” says Michaeli.
You can find the full report of testimonies here
Meanwhile their politicians are freeing these rapists, and discussing in the Knesset (basically their parliament) if rape is an appropriate punishment. Their TV channels are discussing the same thing publicly, and bringing IDF soldiers on the shows to defend raping prisoners. I don’t understand how a society can become so disgustingly genocidal. Nazi shit.
They will of course find it not to be rape as according to Israeli law, only a citizen is capable of being raped. Captured Palestinians are not citizens.
And it is ridiculous how many people on social media somehow think this makes everything okay.