Overview

As soon as the war broke out, thousands of Gaza residents were taken into custody and held in Israel under the Incarceration of Unlawful Combatants Law. Whether in military prisons or Israel Prison Service (IPS) facilities, these detainees were subjected to brutal conditions, and harsh abuse and neglect, including medical neglect, on an unprecedented scale. Many of them were not involved in the attack on Israel and were ultimately released as non-dangerous.

At the same time, an Incarceration Emergency was declared, allowing (even as of today, two years later) IPS facilities to increase occupancy in already overcrowded conditions, and have detainees and inmates sleep on the floor. In keeping with policies steered by the Minister of National Security, other detention conditions, including food and medical services, were also deliberately and drastically downgraded, to the point where many suffered from starvation, developed health issues, or died. Violence and abuse were also prevalent.

According to PHRI figures, at least 94 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since the war began as a result of to severe abuse, lack of medical treatment, and inhuman living conditions, a number that underscores the gravity of the situation. Nonetheless, as far as what is currently known, not a single charge has been filed against any soldier or prison guard in connection with a detainee’s death. Many other detainees were released from custody with permanent physical injuries, including limb amputations.

Reports, court cases, and international criticism have failed to effect a real change, apart from the isolated mitigation of detention conditions at the Sde Teiman military facility, where the most severe cases of abuse were exposed by soldiers, physicians, and detainees.