Hamas issued a written statement regarding the sexual abuse and torture incidents at the Sde Teiman military base in the south, where Palestinians are being held. The statement said: “The brutal violations suffered by thousands of people detained from the Gaza Strip at the Sde Teiman military base, and the systematic torture carried out by sadistic Zionist officers and soldiers of the occupation army, confirm Israel’s deviant nature from human values. “
Calls from Palestinian Authorities
- Hamas has called for the establishment of an international committee of inquiry to investigate crimes committed against those held in Israeli prisons.
- Kaddura Faris, head of the Palestine Prisoners’ Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, called on the international community to urgently stop the crimes against Palestinian prisoners.
- Palestinian National Council President Ruhi Futuh called for the establishment of an international investigation committee to investigate the inhumane conditions in Israeli prisons.
- The head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Association, Abdullah al-Zegari, called for an emergency meeting of the UN to stop the crimes committed in Israeli prisons.
Details of Violations and Abuse
The Sde Teiman detention center in southern Israel, where detained Gazans are held, is frequently in the news for torture. A report in the New York Times reported that Gazans held at the detention center are blindfolded and handcuffed for up to 18 hours a day in silence in an open area. Some Gazans who were held there and released have spoken out about the torture they were subjected to.
Israel’s Crimes and International Intervention
It was emphasized that serious steps must be taken to prosecute and hold perpetrators accountable for crimes committed against prisoners and violations of international law. It called on the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
