Nearly 600 Days Into Genocide: Gaza’s Political Prisoners Enduring Severe Torture, Abuse

May 27, 2025 Ramallah,

occupied Palestine - Visits conducted in May 2025 by lawyers of the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) to Palestinian political prisoners abducted by the Israeli occupation from the Gaza Strip, reveal a continuation in the systematic policies of extreme torture and abuse nearly 600 days into the genocide. Legal teams visited detainees taken from Gaza being held in the notorious Sde Teiman military camp, as well as the Ofer military camp. The testimonies of detainees arrested in Gaza continue to be the harshest and most brutal among all other detainees, with the details becoming increasingly horrific with the passage of time. The occupation is using methods that severely violate human dignity. Sde Teiman military camp, in particular, continues to stand out as a symbol of systematic torture, alongside Ofer military camp, where the level of abuse is no less severe. In this short report, the Commission and the PPS highlight below some of the harrowing testimonies gathered during these visits. • "They stripped me naked and filmed me with a phone" Detainee Y.S.: "I was arrested on December 27, 2024, from Kamal Adwan Hospital. I was transferred to a prison in Jerusalem for 24 days. Throughout that time, we were handcuffed. I underwent interrogation for 20 days, followed by three additional interrogation sessions, each lasting four hours. They threatened to use the so-called ‘disco interrogation method’ against me. Two months after my arrest, I was brought to a court hearing via phone, and my detention was extended indefinitely. The session lasted only three minutes. Before any interrogation, I was completely stripped of my clothes, and they filmed me with a mobile phone. As for the living conditions in Sde Teiman, they are extremely harsh. We have no utensils to eat with. Since my arrival, I have changed clothes only once." • “18-hour interrogation while repeatedly being beaten” Detainee M.D., arrested in November 2024: ”I was with my family at the time of arrest, along with around 180 people. We were being held [by the army] in a building next to what is known as the 'civil administration checkpoint,’ before we were transferred to the Sde Teiman military camp, where I’ve remained since. I was interrogated for days, including one continuous 18-hour session during which I was repeatedly beaten. I was subjected to the 'disco interrogation' method for 24 hours. After 35 days, I had a court session via phone. The judge ordered my detention to continue until the end of the war.” The detainee explained that each group of 25 detainees is held in a single barracks. Detainees are forced to remain seated at all times, and speaking is prohibited. The entire camp is equipped with surveillance cameras. The assaults and degrading, humiliating treatment do not stop; their intensity may vary depending on the mood of the occupying soldiers. Everything in prison—including the detainees' access to time outside their cells (also known as ‘Fora’)—is subject to the whims of the soldiers. He noted that he has not been allowed to change his clothing for 90 days, and has been wearing the same undergarments for 30 days. Every 5 to 6 detainees must share the same towel when showering, and the shower time is limited to two minutes. • “Time outside is just another opportunity for abuse.” Detainee A.R.: "I was arrested on December 27, 2024, at the designated 'safe corridor.' We were held in a place nearby and spent the night in the open, exposed to freezing temperatures. We were forced to wear white COVID-19 robes. We were severely beaten during the entire journey to the Sde Teiman military camp. I still suffer from shoulder and cartilage pain, and despite begging for painkillers, I receive no treatment. Forty days after my arrest, I had a court hearing via phone and my detention was extended indefinitely.” As for detention conditions, detainee (A.R.) said he has been wearing the same clothes for over a month. The allowed shower time is limited to just two minutes. Throughout the day, they are forced to remain seated on their beds without mattresses. They are not allowed to speak. Surveillance cameras operate around the clock. During their time outside their cells, they are forbidden from raising their heads—anyone who does is subjected to humiliation and abuse. • Detainee M.W.: "I was arrested on December 29, 2024. I had a stomach injury. They transferred me to Sde Teiman military camp while I was still injured and severely beat me despite being informed of my condition. I now suffer from constant pain. **During the visit, the detainee couldn't stop crying. • "Blindfolded and handcuffed for 41 consecutive days" Detainee Y.N.: "I was arrested on December 27, 2024. I spent three days completely naked before being given a COVID-19 robe. I was transferred to Jerusalem and held there for 41 days—blindfolded and handcuffed the entire time. I was beaten, and I still suffer from severe pain and swelling in my left leg, which prevents me from going outside during the allocated time (Fora). I rely on fellow detainees to help me meet my basic needs." • "I haven’t changed my clothes in five months" Detainee A.L., arrested in November 2024: "I was subjected to harsh and inhumane treatment. During time outside (Fora) we are forced to lower our heads and walk in a line like a train. I haven’t changed clothes in five months. During winter, they forced us to shower in cold water as a form of torture. They employ collective punishment, and sometimes torture specific detainees in front of us to instill fear. As for our basic needs, we are deprived of the bare minimum. No toothbrushes or even toothpaste. Each room is given just one roll of toilet paper per day. We don’t have utensils; food is placed directly in our hands." ******* In this context, the Commission and the PPS affirm that these testimonies reflect the ongoing policy of the occupation’s prison system to target prisoners and detainees—an extension of the genocide and the comprehensive assault on our people. This phase represents the most violent period for Palestinian political prisoners since the start of the Israeli occupation. The number of those who have been killed both directly and indirectly by the occupation’s prison authorities has reached 70 people since the start of the genocide, the majority of whom - 44 - were abducted from the Gaza Strip. This figure includes only those whose identities are known to the relevant institutions. Dozens more remain forcibly disappeared. As of the start of May 2025, the number of Palestinian political prisoners has exceeded 10,100 — a figure that does not include detainees held in military camps run by the Israeli occupation forces. Among them are 1,846 Palestinians arrested from occupied Gaza are being held without trial or charge under the "unlawful combatants" law. Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) ENDS