Inside Israel’s torture chambers: Leaked testimonies of Palestinian detainees

In this report, The Guardian presents direct testimonies from released prisoners, showing that in Israeli prisons, abuse, physical and psychological torture, medical neglect, and starvation are implemented as part of an organized policy — a situation that, according to human rights organizations, constitutes a blatant violation of international law.

At the beginning of the report, The Guardian recounts the story of Naseem al-Radhi, a 33-year-old government employee from Beit Lahia in Gaza. He was arrested on December 9, 2023, in one of Gaza’s refugee schools and detained for nearly 22 months without charge in various Israeli prisons — including 100 days in an underground cell.

Al-Radhi, who was released along with 1,700 other Palestinians, said the last image he saw of Gaza was blurred, as his vision had been damaged by blows from Israeli soldiers’ boots. During his detention, he developed multiple physical illnesses, and visible bruises and wounds covered his body at the time of his release.

According to al-Radhi, and as confirmed by the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, the harsh prison conditions are part of a “deliberate policy of torture” against Palestinian detainees.

He said, “The conditions in prison were unbearably violent — from binding our hands and feet to enduring the worst forms of torture.” He added that prison guards regularly attacked detainees with tear gas, rubber bullets, and trained dogs, beating them severely. Al-Radhi also said that 14 prisoners were kept in a room designed for five, creating unsanitary conditions that caused fungal and skin diseases, while no effective medical treatment was provided.

The Guardian then cites the account of Mohammed al-Osaili, a 22-year-old university student arrested on December 20, 2023, and now released from Nafha Prison in the Negev Desert. Like al-Radhi, he was never charged with any crime and suffered from scabies due to the unhygienic environment.

Al-Osaili said, “There was no medical care. We tried to clean our wounds with disinfectants, but it only made things worse. The mattresses were filthy, the environment was unhealthy, and the food was contaminated.”

He also described one method of torture: “There was a place they called the ‘disco,’ where they played loud music non-stop for two days. It was one of the most painful forms of torture. They hung us from the wall, sprayed us with cold water, and sometimes threw pepper powder on us.”

According to The Guardian, both prisoners lost significant amounts of weight during detention — al-Radhi dropped from 93 kg to 60, and al-Osaili from 75 to 42.

Iyad Qdeih, public relations director of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, confirmed that many released detainees were in extremely poor physical condition, showing clear signs of torture, fractures, and wounds. He said, “Many of the released prisoners were taken directly to the emergency ward, showing obvious signs of prolonged starvation.”

The report continues, citing Israel’s Public Committee Against Torture, which stated that about 2,800 Palestinians from Gaza are being held in Israeli prisons and detention centers without any charges.

These mass arrests followed the October 7, 2023 attack and were enabled by an amendment to the “Unlawful Combatants Law” passed in December that year — an amendment allowing indefinite detention based solely on “reasonable grounds” determined by military officers.

The Guardian adds that Israeli prison and military officials did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment, though they have previously claimed that prison conditions comply with international law.

However, evidence and testimonies contradict those claims. According to Tal Steiner, executive director of the Committee Against Torture, “The scale and intensity of torture and mistreatment in Israeli prisons and military bases have dramatically increased since October 7, as part of an official policy set by Israeli decision-makers.”

In line with this, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir had previously posted on social media that Palestinian prisoners should receive only “the bare minimum” of food.

At the end of the report, The Guardian highlights the human tragedy behind the statistics. Upon his release, al-Radhi learned that his wife and all his children except one had been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza. He said, “I was so happy that my release coincided with the birth of my little daughter, Saba. I wanted to buy her the best gift to celebrate her birthday — but Saba is gone with my family, and my happiness went with her.”