Ramallah, April 29 2025 — Recently released Palestinian detainees are speaking out about what they perceive to be widespread abuse, humiliation and inhumane treatment during their time spent incarcerated by Israel after either temporary release orders were lifted or administrative detention periods expired.
Recently, former detainees — men and women alike — have come forward with testimony to human rights groups, local media, and legal advocates in the occupied West Bank. Their accounts paint an alarming picture of conditions behind bars amid Israel-Gaza tensions and an unprecedented surge in arrests since October 2024.
Raed Al-Sheikh from Hebron was held for nearly three months without charge without being given access to medical attention, according to Raed’s account of being beaten daily, blindfolded for hours at a time, and denied medical care. “They made us sleep on cold floors, denied access to family, and treated us like animals,” Raed reported.
Human rights groups such as B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel have noted a dramatic spike in complaints of abuse since mass arrest operations across the West Bank began. Israel has held over 8,000 Palestinians under administrative detention – a controversial policy which allows imprisonment without trial – since the start of Gaza war, according to Palestinian Prisoners Society figures.
One female detainee who asked to remain anonymous reported being verbally harassed and denied sanitary products during her two-month detention in Damon Prison. “They punished us just for being Palestinian,” she stated. “We weren’t militants; we were teachers, students and mothers.”
Israeli authorities have dismissed allegations of systemic abuse, asserting their security forces operate within legal and ethical guidelines. An Israel Prison Service (IPS) spokesperson asserted all detainees are treated according to law and any claims of mistreatment are investigated through appropriate channels.
Advocacy groups maintain that little accountability exists in practice. “The testimonies we are hearing represent a pattern of deliberate cruelty and collective punishment,” noted Hanan Mousa, legal advisor with Addameer (a Palestinian prisoner support group).
United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) officials have also expressed serious concerns, calling on Israel to comply with international humanitarian law when treating detainees from occupied territory.
These testimonies have reignited calls for international oversight and pressure on Israeli authorities to stop what critics see as an ongoing campaign of mass arrests, intimidation and rights violations.
“This is more than a legal issue,” stated Mousa. “It is an unfolding humanitarian disaster.”