Abuse of detainees

Since the outbreak of the war, thousands of Gazans have been held as unlawful combatants in military detention facilities at the Ofer, Sde Teiman, Naftali and Anatot military camps (the latter closed in May 2025). Human rights organizations and media outlets have documented extremely harsh detention conditions, especially during the early months of the conflict: constant four-limb shackling, including during sleep and meals; blindfolding; denial of contact with the outside world (with lawyers only recently permitted visits after cumbersome coordination procedures); prolonged, enforced kneeling with no ability to move; prohibition on verbal contact between detainees; sub-minimal hygiene and sanitation conditions, including no provision of clean clothing and almost no access to showers; harsh corporal punishment for what staff defined as disciplinary offences; and a pervasive atmosphere of intimidation among detainees. Testimonies from released detainees, as well as from soldiers, officers, and medical professionals, indicate consistent and systematic patterns of harm, including severe physical violence, sexual abuse, degradation, and humiliation.

To date, only one reservist soldier is known to have been tried and punished for the abuse of Gazan detainees he transported in a truck to a detention facility. Indictments were filed against five other reservist soldiers, two of whom are officers, for serious physical harm to a Gazan detainee at Sde Teiman. Although the detainee, who was hospitalized after the assault, suffered rectal injuries cited in the indictment, the charges did not include sexual assault. In November 2025, the MAG Corps said that the injured detainee was released to Gaza in the ceasefire agreement, without giving testimony about the alleged abuse. This may adversely impact the legal proceedings against the accused.

Like this detainee, thousands of Palestinians detained in Gaza since the war broke out have been released without charges after being deemed non-dangerous, as reported by Ha-Makom in June 2025. Many were held for months under the harsh conditions described above. Among the detainees released were women, people with disabilities, and elderly individuals. Some reported not being interrogated at all during the first days and weeks of their detention, or that interrogations lasted only minutes and consisted of basic questions.

For further reading:

Soldiers’ testimonies given to Breaking the Silence, I was in Sde Teiman, I know we have a torture facility

Detainee testimonies given to PHRI, Gaza’s Medical Workers Testimonials, Unlawfully Detained, Tortured and Starved, February 2025

Haaretz, We Served on Israel’s Sde Teiman Base. Here’s What We Did to Gazans Detained There, August 2024

Detainee testimonies and B’Tselem report, Welcome to Hell, August 2024