The Palestinian Authority’s Commission of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club yesterday revealed harrowing testimonies from detainees held in Israel’s Negev and Ofer prisons.
In a joint statement, the two organisations said: “Rape and sexual assaults against Gaza detainees are ongoing.”
“In Ofer camp, guards intentionally restrain detainees and repeatedly insert a stick into the detainee’s anus until he feels he is suffocating,” according to one of the detainees.
The statement continued: “The more the detainee screams in pain, the more the guard intensifies the abuse.”
It also stated that some detainees were raped in front of others, with the intent of breaking their spirit and spreading fear among them.
According to the statement, surveillance cameras — normally used as a key tool for monitoring and control — have been turned into a means of abuse. “If a detainee is seen smiling or displaying any behaviour perceived as defiance, the guards respond by violently beating him until he faints or the repression units impose collective punishment against all detainees through brutal searches and severe torture.”
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