Allegations of Abuse Against Palestinian Detainees in Israeli and Palestinian Prisons
Two Palestinians have told the BBC they experienced beatings and sexual abuse while in Israeli detention, including an alleged rape with a baton at Megiddo prison around 13 March 2024. Sami al-Saei, 46, from Tulkarm, who was arrested in January 2024 and held for 16 months under administrative detention, alleges that guards partially stripped him and raped him with a baton during an assault lasting 15–20 minutes, alongside daily beatings but only one sexual assault. He was released in summer 2025. Another detainee, referred to as Ahmed, from the West Bank, arrested in January 2024 and convicted of incitement to terrorism, alleged that guards stripped him, forced him to the ground, and humiliated him with a dog named Messi. He served a one-year sentence plus a fine of 3,000 shekels and was released 12 days after completing his sentence; no medical identification was noted. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) denies such incidents, stating it operates in accordance with the law and did not comment on investigations.
In August 2024, leaked CCTV footage from Sde Teiman prison revealed a Gaza detainee allegedly abused with a sharp object. Five Israeli reservist soldiers were charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm; four appeared at a press conference wearing balaclavas, while a fifth later revealed his identity. The leak was linked to Military Advocate General Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned in October 2024 after admitting to leaking the video in an effort to counter what she described as propaganda.
The UN Committee against Torture, in November 2025, expressed deep concern about reports of a de facto state policy involving torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, with allegations intensifying after the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023. Approximately 9,000 Palestinian security detainees are currently held in Israeli jails, nearly double the number before 7 October 2023.
The BBC has also reported allegations of abuse within Palestinian Authority prisons. A former detainee told the BBC that PA security officers beat him and used electric shocks. The Palestinian Authority denies these allegations, and the BBC has requested comment.
