Palestinians endure 'systemic abuse' in Israeli prisons, rights group says

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons are enduring “a systemic, institutionalized policy of torture and abuse,” one of Israel’s leading human rights organizations said in a report released Tuesday.

Based on interviews with 21 Palestinians released from detention as part of the October 2025 ceasefire, the Israeli rights group B’Tselem said prison conditions had led to deaths and irreversible health damage. The group said former detainees spoke despite threats of re-arrest if they shared details of their experiences.

Israel's Prison Service said it “categorically rejects the false allegations,” contending it operates lawfully, is subject to oversight and reviews complaints.

“Any concrete complaint submitted through the official channels is examined by the competent authorities in accordance with established procedures and the law,” it said in a statement.

Israel's military and Shin Bet — who are responsible for arresting prisoners and conducting interrogations, respectively— did not respond to requests for comment.

In a report titled Living Hell, B’Tselem detailed what it described as a “grave pattern of sexual violence” in detention facilities and prisons, including threats of sexual abuse and physical assaults such as beatings to the genitals that caused severe injuries. The report also said detainees were subjected to forced anal penetration with objects.

The report described ongoing organized violence, including beatings, electric shocks, and the use of tear gas and stun grenades.

Living conditions, the group said, are marked by severe overcrowding, shackling, and limited access to food and hygiene. Denied adequate medical care, some detainees have undergone amputations or reported loss of eyesight or hearing.

Few of the allegations are new. However, B’Tselem said the accounts point to an “institutionalized policy of torture and abuse” backed by Israel’s political and judicial systems.

“Far from being carried out in the shadows, this systemic abuse is put on public display, with no attempt to conceal or obscure it,” the report said. “In fact, the persons in charge boast about it openly.”

The number of Palestinians in Israeli detention surged after the start of Israel’s war with Hamas. While thousands of people have since been released — including nearly 2,000 as part of the October ceasefire agreement, in which Palestinians were exchanged for Israeli hostages still held in Gaza — some 9,000 remain in detention.

The Associated Press has previously reported on the dire conditions in prisons and detention centers through interviews with released detainees, their families, lawyers and prison staff, who described medical neglect, abuse and deaths in custody.