Press Release
Al-Dameer: Visits Gaza Detainees in (Negev) Prison and Receives Horrific Testimonies.
Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights – Gaza: On the 17th and 18th of this month, one of the organization’s lawyers visited several Gaza detainees in the (Negev) Prison. The detainees continue to be subjected to various forms of daily torture, cruel, and degrading treatment. The visit confirmed that most of the detainees in (Negev) Prison are suffering from an outbreak of scabies, with severe cases spreading among them, in addition to boils, sores, and fungal infections on their bodies, which have caused them to bleed due to constant itching. The detainees are deprived of medical care, are not examined by doctors, and are denied appropriate treatment. Prisoners with high blood pressure and diabetes are also deprived of their medication, and those with visual impairments are not provided with glasses. Additionally, they lack cleaning supplies and are only allowed to bathe once every ten days, Food is insufficient and inadequate, resulting in malnutrition and extreme weight loss, with some detainees reporting a weight loss of 20 to 30 kilograms during their imprisonment.
One detainee testified: “As soon as we arrived at the Negev, we were part of the first group to be ‘burned.’ We were stripped of our underwear and given only overalls to wear, without any undergarments. Then, we were called out in pairs, beaten, and had hot water poured on our backs, leaving burn marks.” Another detainee reported: “We were stripped naked and brutally beaten with plastic binding tools—this was how we were welcomed on our first day at Negev.” He continued: “During interrogations, they would show us pictures of our wives and sisters and insult them with obscene language.” Another detainee stated: “They stripped us naked, and we could hear the sound of cameras taking pictures of us. We suffer from a lack of food, and what is provided to us is often intentionally spoiled before being served. We fast to relieve the hunger pains because the food is so little. I used to weigh 65 kilograms, but my weight dropped to 45 kilograms, and I became so thin that I could no longer sit on the floor.
” Another detainee explained “: There are 150 of us detainees in a section called ‘Mardawan’—the detention block—and there are only three bathrooms, which are insufficient. We have to wait in long lines to use the bathroom, and sometimes detainees are forced to relieve themselves in their pants because of the long wait.” Another detainee complained about the lack of mattresses and blankets, especially during the cold nights, as the available bedding is torn, filthy, and has an unbearable stench. One detainee also testified that the prison authorities and the Israeli army “prevent us from praying, especially in congregation. If they hear the sound of the Qur’an or prayer, they call everyone from the tent to identify the source, and the person is taken to a place called ‘Bidood’ for beating and torture, They have also banned us from bringing in Qur’ans or reading them.”
Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights emphasizes that these retaliatory and vengeful actions reflect systematic policies by the Israeli occupation, particularly under the direction of extremist minister “Ben Gvir,” who repeatedly incites violence against detainees and calls for their execution. The torture and cruel treatment that detainees endure amount to crimes against humanity under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, to which Israel is a party, as well as violations of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. These practices also constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Accordingly, Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights calls for:
– The International Committee of the Red Cross to act on its responsibilities by monitoring the conditions of detainees, increasing their visits to Gaza detainees, and exposing the violations and abuses they endure inside the prisons.
– The International Criminal Court to open an immediate and serious investigation into the conditions of detainees and prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons, as the actions of the Israeli authorities constitute war crimes and may rise to the level of crimes against humanity.
– The relevant UN Special Rapporteurs on Arbitrary Detention, Torture, the Right to Health, and the Right to Food to take immediate action and fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities toward Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons.
Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights – Gaza