Former Palestinian prisoners allege sexual, physical, medical abuse in Israeli prisons – report

A Wall Street Journal report details allegations from a dozen released Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of terrorism, claiming sexual, physical, and medical abuse in Israeli custody since October 7. Prisoners reported increased beatings, starvation, and sexual assaults, often by tactical units. Iyad Omar, convicted of attempted murder, stated, "Every day, three times a day, someone was being beaten."

• One former prisoner, Mohammad Mardawi, alleged he was beaten and sodomized in April 2024.
• Auditors from the Ministry of Justice and UN agencies reportedly found detainees were starved and beaten, particularly during transfers and searches.
• Physicians for Human Rights Israel reported insufficient food and medical treatment in all 59 prisons visited since February, noting scabies outbreaks in five facilities.
• The Israel Prison Service has denied these claims as "false, recycled, and entirely without factual basis."

Autopsies of some deceased Palestinian prisoners showed signs of assault, neglect, and malnutrition. The UN added Israel to a list of countries accused of sexual violence in warzones, citing violations against Palestinian prisoners, which Israel denies.