In its comprehensive report, “Welcome to Hell: How Israeli Prisons Have Become a Network of Torture Camps,” B’Tselem includes testimonies from 55 Palestinians: 30 from the occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank, 21 from the Gaza Strip, and 4 Arab Israeli citizens. These former details recount their experiences in prisons following Israel’s attacks on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
The report states that Palestinians held in Israeli prisons are subjected to a systematic policy of constant ill-treatment and torture, including sexual violence, humiliation, starvation, arbitrary and excessive violence. Palestinians have also described poor sanitation in prisons, sleep deprivation, restrictions on worship, confiscation of personal and shared belongings, and denial of access to appropriate treatment.
The report includes the following statements:
- “The testimonies of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons show that more than 12 prisons, both civilian and military, have been turned into camps for the purpose of mistreating people. Anyone who enters these places, which function as torture camps, is condemned to suffer the “most severe pain and endless torment.”
Before October 7, 2023, the number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons was recorded as 5,192. However, the report notes that as of July 2024, the number of Palestinians in prisons and detention centers had increased to 9,623. It emphasizes that 4,781 of these details are in “administrative detention” without trial or charge.
The report notes that Israeli forces illegally detained thousands of Gazan workers who were in Israel and had work permits immediately after October 7. It notes that hundreds of Palestinians were taken to unknown locations and prevented from informing their families. It also notes that efforts by families, lawyers and human rights organizations to investigate lists of detainees and detention centers are often rejected. It also notes that Israeli courts are under no obligation to provide information on details.
Israel’s Practice of “Administrative Detention”
Israel can detain Palestinians for 1 to 6 months without charge or trial under the name “administrative detention.” Military courts can extend the detention period to 5 years without disclosing the crime the detainee is the accused of, if they “pose a danger to Israel’s security.”
Since October 7, a total of 39,623 Palestinians, including at least 16,314 children and 10,980 women, have been killed and 91,469 injured in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. Thousands of people are reportedly still buried under the rubble, and civilian infrastructure has been severely damaged, with hospitals and educational institutions where people have sought refugee targeted.
