Israel’s leading human rights organization, B’tselem, has condemned conditions in Israeli prisons holding Palestinian detainees as tantamount to torture. Their report, “Welcome to Hell,” details worsening conditions based on testimonies from 55 recently released detainees, highlighting severe abuse since the Gaza conflict began ten months ago.
The report describes overcrowded, filthy cells where prisoners suffer from physical and mental abuse, starvation, and sleep deprivation. The number of detainees has surged to around 10,000 following the October 7 Hamas attacks, overwhelming the prison system. Many prisoners, including those from Gaza and the West Bank, were detained without charges and later released.
Israeli Arab lawyer Sari Khourieh, who was detained in November, reported witnessing brutal treatment and a complete breakdown of order at Megiddo prison. The UN has reported deaths in custody, and Israel’s military advocate is investigating additional cases.
B’tselem and other groups accuse the Israeli government of systematically defying international law, especially by denying the International Committee of the Red Cross access to detainees. Israeli authorities, including hardline figures like Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have faced criticism for worsening conditions. B’tselem’s Yuli Novak warns that this reflects a broader moral decline in the nation.
