Gilboa prison administration inflicts electric shocks torture on detainees

August 8, 2025

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs stated on Friday that the Gilboa Prison administration has escalated its abuse against detainees, recently employing painful electric shocks during raids on detention sections and cells.

A lawyer from the Commission, following a visit to the facility, described the procedure: special units storm the section under the pretext of conducting inspections, restrain all detainees by their hands and feet, and move them to the prison yard. There, detainees are beaten, insulted, and subjected to electric shocks.

They are then dragged to the yard showers, drenched with water, and shocked again, a method intended to intensify their pain and suffering. In many cases, detainees collapse from the ordeal.

The lawyer further noted that “the electric shocks are administered using specialized stun guns, which are also wielded as weapons to strike detainees on the head. Being made of solid metal, they cause deep wounds, leaving many detainees bleeding, while guards mock and laugh at them. The level of torture is so severe that numerous detainees lose consciousness.”

The Commission added that alongside this torture, detainees are deprived of sufficient food, receiving only minimal portions that have led to drastic weight loss.

The lack of cleaning materials and disinfectants has turned cells into breeding grounds for disease. Detainees are forced to use the same plastic plates and spoons for an entire month, ensuring the constant presence of viruses and bacteria, a situation that puts their health and lives in grave danger.

Palestinian Detainee Intisar Al-Awawdeh Exposes the Inhumane Conditions Faced by Women Prisoners in Israeli Jails

August 4, 2025

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has revealed harrowing details of the abuse endured by Palestinian women in Israeli prisons, based on the testimony of detainee Intisar Al-Awawdeh, 52, from the town of Karma near Hebron. Her account, relayed through the Commission’s lawyer after a visit to Damon Prison, sheds light on systematic violations targeting female detainees.

Arrested on May 13, 2025, Al-Awawdeh recounted that Israeli forces raided her home in the early morning hours in large numbers. Her phone and computer were confiscated, she was not allowed to change her clothes, and was blindfolded and handcuffed before being taken away in a military jeep, without the presence of a female soldier.

She described being transferred between multiple interrogation centers, including Kiryat Arba and the Moskobiyyeh, where she was subjected to a humiliating strip search and detained for 22 days in dire conditions, dim lighting, no windows, and undrinkable water.

Later, Al-Awawdeh was transferred to the Sharon transit facility, which she described as uninhabitable: damp, dirty floors, moldy walls, and foul odors emanating from every corner. Meals were barely edible and often served in unwashed dishes. In one incident, she witnessed a guard dump food remnants into the trash, bang the plate on the bin, then refill it with rice, without rinsing or cleaning it, before handing it back to her. "I was disgusted," she said, "but hunger forced me to eat a boiled egg and a single potato."

After three days, she was moved to Damon Prison, where she remains. She describes the conditions as cruel and degrading. The prison cells lack basic ventilation; air vents are sealed, and even the upper part of the door is blocked by glass and mesh. Since the events of October 7, all electric appliances, including fans, have been confiscated, leaving detainees to suffer the sweltering summer heat.

Al-Awawdeh added that daily recreation time rarely exceeds 30 minutes, and is sometimes reduced to just 15 minutes at the whim of the guards. This short window is the only time allowed for showering and washing clothes. Detainees are released in small groups to prevent interaction, and when they return, the rooms are thick with humidity, an environment she says is perfect for the spread of skin parasites. No personal hygiene supplies are provided.

On the medical front, she reported that nearly all female detainees suffer from skin irritation, heavy sweating, and digestive issues like constipation, due to poor food and lack of movement. Exercise is nearly impossible, as the yard is under constant surveillance, making it impossible for women to remove their head coverings or receive adequate sun exposure. Many detainees now suffer from vitamin D deficiency and hair loss, in addition to a severe shortage of clean clothes and undergarments.

She also highlighted the trauma caused by frequent, unannounced searches at all hours of the day and night, which heighten anxiety among the prisoners, especially minors and pregnant women.

The Commission emphasized that these conditions amount to flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and all universally recognized human rights standards, and called on the international community, human rights organizations, and global parliaments to take immediate action to protect the rights and dignity of Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons.

On the National and Day of Solidarity with Gaza and the Detainees

● This report presents key figures related to the wave of arrests since the onset of Israel’s war of extermination, including updated statistics on the number of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.

Palestinian detainees institutions have documented the scope of arrest campaigns across the occupied territories, particularly in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Since the beginning of the war, approximately 18,500 arrests have been recorded, this number excludes the thousands detained in Gaza.

Women: Since October 7, around (570) women have been arrested, including women from the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip (those detained in the West Bank), and the 1948 territories. The actual number of women detained from inside Gaza is believed to be in dozens, but remains unconfirmed.

Children: At least (1,500) children have been arrested in the West Bank alone.

Journalists: Over 194 journalists have been arrested or detained since the start of the war. As of now, 49 remain imprisoned.

The arrest campaigns have been accompanied by severe violations and acts of violence, including physical assaults, torture, threats against detainees and their families, the looting and destruction of property, and widespread damage to civilian homes and infrastructure. Vehicles, personal funds, and gold have also been confiscated. Entire neighborhoods, particularly in the refugee camps of Tulkarm and Jenin, have suffered from systematic demolition. In some cases, family members of detainees have been held as hostages, and detainees have been used as human shields.

These figures cover arrests carried out in homes, at military checkpoints, those who were coerced into surrendering, and individuals held as hostages.

In parallel with these campaigns, Israeli forces have conducted extrajudicial executions, including targeting relatives of detainees.

It is important to note that statistics related to the West Bank include individuals who remain in detention as well as those who have since been released.

. Since October 7, at least (75) Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody, with their identities officially confirmed and publicized.
Among them are (46) detainees from Gaza. Dozens more from Gaza have died in prisons and military camps under conditions of enforced disappearance, with Israeli authorities concealing their identities and the circumstances of their deaths. Additionally, many were executed in the field.

Israel continues to withhold the bodies of (72) detainees confirmed to have died since the start of the war. These individuals are among (83) martyrs whose remains are still being held by the occupation.

Due to Israel’s policy of enforced disappearance, the full number of Gaza detainees is unknown. However, Israel has acknowledged detaining thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, many of whom were later released. These include workers who had entered the 1948 territories with official permits, hundreds of laborers detained in the West Bank, and civilians who were in the West Bank for medical treatment.

Total Number of Palestinian Detainees in Israeli Prisons/As of July 2025

According to the latest verified data, the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons has reached approximately (10,800), the highest figure recorded since the Second Intifada in 2000.

Female detainees: There are currently 49 women in Israeli custody, including two from Gaza.

Child prisoners: The number of detained children exceeds 450.

Administrative detainees: As of early July, there were (3,629) Palestinians held without charge or trial, an unprecedented figure compared to other detainees categories, including pre-trial, sentenced, and “illegal combatants.”

Detainees labeled as “illegal combatants”: This category includes (2,454) individuals, though it does not account for all Gaza detainees held in military camps. It is the highest number recorded since the beginning of the war. This classification also includes Arab detainees from Lebanon and Syria.

Note: These figures are subject to daily change due to the ongoing arrest campaigns. They reflect both current detainees and those who have been released.

Issued by Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Society Prisoner’s Club

🔴 The number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons as for the beginning of August 2025

● The total number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons has reached nearly 10,800.
This figure does not include those held in military camps subordinate to the Israeli army, representing the highest recorded since the Second Intifada in 2000, based on detainees organizations’ documentation.

● Female Detainees : (49) women are currently held in detention, including two from Gaza.

● Child detainees: As of today, the number exceeds (450) children.

● Administrative detainees: As of the beginning of July, their number reached (3,613), representing the highest percentage compared to the number of sentenced detainees , pre-trial detainees, and those classified as "illegal combatants."

● Detainees classified as "illegal combatants": The number has reached (2,378) individuals. This figure does not include all Gaza detainees held in military camps operated by the Israeli army. It is the highest number since the beginning of the genocide war. This classification also includes Arab detainees from Lebanon and Syria.

From Inside Negev Prison

Testimonies document starvation , medical neglect , and daily abuse

August 4, 2025

A lawyer from the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has visited a number of Palestinian detainees held in Negev Prison to assess their medical and living conditions. During the visit, he met with detainee Amro Mohammad Mansour (38 years old), from the town of Beitunia/Ramallah, who has been held under administrative detention since January 28, 2025.

Mansour stated that he was placed under administrative detention without any investigation or knowledge of the reasons for his arrest. His detention has been extended twice for 6 months and he has yet to receive a copy of the latest confirmation order.

Regarding his health, Mansour explained that he suffers from chronic migraines and has experienced repeated pain while in detention without receiving the necessary treatment, despite the prison authorities being fully aware of his condition. He also reported being infected with scabies and developing boils, yet no adequate medical care has been provided. Even when transferred to the prison clinic, his name is merely registered without receiving any real treatment.

The Commission's lawyer also visited several other detainees, who confirmed they are in stable health. They are:

1. Mohammad Raed Atoun (22 years old) from Sur Baher/Jerusalem, serving a two year sentence since January 27, 2025.

2. Ahmad Abdul Mohsen Suleiman (27 years old) from Beit 'Ur/Ramallah, held under administrative detention since June 30, 2024.

3. Yaqoub Mustafa Omar Hussein (32 years old) from Al-Jalazon Refugee Camp/Ramallah, under administrative detention since November 5, 2023.

4. ⁠Yamen Mohammad As’ad Abu Bakr (19 years old) from Ya’bad/Jenin, under administrative detention since January 15, 2024.

As for the general conditions inside Negev Prison, they are described as unprecedented. Detainees live in a constant state of fear and anxiety due to frequent transfers, the absence of stability, and the denial of the minimum requirements for a dignified life. They are subjected to degrading treatment, humiliating searches, and harsh punitive measures, including being handcuffed from behind and forced to kneel during inspections.
Food portions have been significantly reduced, and sanitation is virtually non-existent.

Moreover, rooms are overcrowded, each housing between 10 to 12 detainees, effectively turning them into prison cells. There is a severe shortage of blankets, clothing, and other basic supplies. Recreational time is granted only once every one to two weeks, for a duration of 15 to 30 minutes, barely enough time to take a shower.

The food provided is insufficient and unfit for consumption, leading to dramatic weight loss among detainees, ranging from 20 to 30 kilograms. The prison sections also lack basic necessities such as sugar, salt, tea, coffee, cigarettes, medication, canned food, and even hot water.

Abu Al-Hummos: “Knesset's approval of the bill targeting the so-called ‘illegal combatants’ is a scandalous crime”

August 4, 2025

Raed Abu Al-Hummos, Head of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, called on for international parliaments, legal institutions, and human rights organizations to condemn and reject the Israeli legislation that authorizes the arrest and detention of Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip, individuals who continue to face brutal crimes committed by the Israeli military and prison authorities.

Abu Al-Hummos stated, “For 22 consecutive months, Palestinians from across the Gaza Strip have been subjected to arbitrary arrest, systematic beatings, torture, and abuse that, in many cases, amount to execution. They are transferred from one military camp to another, from prison to prison, enduring relentless violations that are both inhumane and degrading. The occupation authorities label them as ‘illegal combatants’, as if they were foreigners who had crossed into the country from East Asia or Africa, captured at the border.”

He continued, “The Israeli Knesset, now controlled by far-right and extremist factions, is actively legalizing the detention of Palestinian civilians from Gaza. This legislation gives Israeli authorities the green light to hold detainees indefinitely without charges, without due process, and without access to legal representation. It is justified under the pretext of a so-called ‘exceptional law,’ stripping detainees of their most basic rights, including the right to be informed of the reason for their detention and the associated legal protections.”

Abu Al-Hummos pointed out that the Knesset’s general assembly recently passed this bill, targeting Palestinians arrested from Gaza since the outbreak of the war of extermination on October 7, 2023, through its second and third readings. The law was approved by a vote of 30 in favor and 6 against, out of 120 members, allowing it to take immediate effect under Israeli legislation.

He stressed that such practices and legal measures reflect utter contempt for international legal, parliamentary, and human rights systems. He called for the mobilization of all available legal mechanisms and the unification of global efforts to confront and halt this dangerous erosion of international norms.

🔴 Palestinian Political Prisoner Held Without Trial or Charge Killed in Occupation Prisons

Commission of Detainees’ Affairs & Palestinian Prisoner’s Society
August 3, 2025

Ramallah, Palestine – 20-year-old Palestinian political detainee Saeed Tazaz’a from Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank has been martyred in the Israeli occupation’s prison, Megiddo, where he was being held without trial or charge since May 6, 2025.

Occupation authorities, like in most cases, refused to provide details about how he was killed. The Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for his killing, and renew their demands for international human rights institutions to launch impartial investigations into the killings of dozens of prisoners since the start of the genocide.

Megiddo Prison is one of the most notorious Israeli prisons where serious crimes are continuously occurring.

The Commission and the PPS noted that, with the martyrdom of Tazaz’a, the number of identified martyred prisoners since the onset of the genocide has risen to 76 people, including 46 detainees abducted from Gaza. This brings the number of identified martyred prisoners since the occupation of 1967 to 313 people, making this the most violent period in the history of the prisoners’ movement.

The two institutions emphasized that the unprecedented escalation in the death toll of prisoners confirms once again that the occupation's prison system continues to implement a policy of slow killing against them. Not a month goes by without a new martyr from the prisoner movement. With the ongoing perpetration of crimes inside prisons, the number of martyrs is likely to rise as more time passes, with thousands of prisoners and detainees being held in conditions that lack the most basic necessities of life. They are subjected daily to systematic crimes, most notably torture, starvation, assaults of all kinds, medical crimes, sexual assaults, and the deliberate imposition of conditions that lead to serious and contagious diseases, most notably scabies. This is in addition to the unprecedented severity of the policies of dispossession and deprivation.

The two organizations note that while the world is demanding the release of the occupation's prisoners, it is ignoring the continued systematic killing of our prisoners and the crimes of torture that are beyond description.

The international human rights system must take effective decisions to hold the occupation leaders accountable for the war crimes they are committing against our people, and to impose clear sanctions that isolate the occupation internationally, restore the human rights system to its fundamental role for which it was established, put an end to the terrifying state of impotence that afflicted it during the war of extermination, and end the state of exceptional immunity that the world grants to the occupying state, as if it is above the law, accountability and responsibility.

Testimonies of Torture: Occupation Soldiers Force Palestinian Detainees to Drink Alcohol, Pour Boiling Water on Them

Issued by the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Ramallah, occupied Palestine – Following lawyers’ visits to several Israeli occupation prisons in July 2025, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) publish a short report highlighting the horrific testimonies gathered from Palestinian political detainees abducted from the occupied Gaza Strip.

These testimonies once again reflect the unprecedented level of crimes they endured during their arrest and interrogation, in addition to their current conditions of detention, which include severe medical violations, systematic starvation, and continuous assault and abuse inside detention centers and camps that have resulted in the killing of dozens of detainees while many others remain victims of enforced disappearances.

The legal teams obtained these brief testimonies during visits to the following detention centers: Naqab (Negev), Ofer, Sde Teiman, and the Russian Compound (Al-Maskoubiyyeh) in occupied Jerusalem.

One testimony included an account of guards pouring boiling water on a detainee’s body, while another described being forced to strip naked and then violently beaten. One detainee reported being forced to drink alcohol, and another was subjected to psychological torture that led him to attempt suicide after an interrogator falsely informed him that his family had been killed — only to later learn that his family was safe. Another detainee was attacked by a police dog, resulting in injury.

Detainee (M.Y): "They poured boiling water onto my body"

"I was arrested in February 2024 and subject to field interrogation, then transferred to Sde Teiman military camp for 25 days, then to a camp near Jerusalem, later to Ofer Prison, and then to Naqab Prison. Throughout this period, I was subjected to all forms of torture. When I was transferred to Naqab Prison, boiling water was poured onto my body.

Today I am held in the tent section of the Naqab Prison, where 27 detainees are held in each tent in extremely harsh conditions. We suffer from constant assault, starvation, and daily humiliation. The food is inedible, so we are forced to fast all day and save it for one meal in the evening. We are also denied treatment, even for scabies, which many detainees have contracted and which has worsened due to the lack of hygiene and the absence of preventive and curative measures."

Detainee (M.Y): "I was stripped naked and forced to drink alcohol"

"I was arrested in February 2024 from the safe passage in Gaza, then transferred to the Gaza envelope area for 25 days, and after that to a camp near Jerusalem, then to Ofer Camp, where I stayed for 60 days, and then to Naqab Prison. In the Gaza envelope, I was beaten with a sharp object, and my wound required [surgical] staples which remained in my head for 119 days, causing a scalp infection. In the camp near Jerusalem, I was completely stripped and forced to drink alcohol."

Detainee (H.N): "I attempted suicide after the interrogator told me my family [in Gaza] had been killed"

"I was arrested in December 2024 via the [Israeli army] Civil Administration checkpoint. I was severely beaten and stripped of my clothes. The interrogator told me that the occupation army had killed all my family members, which caused me a severe psychological crisis that drove me to attempt suicide inside the cell. I would have died if not for the intervention of my fellow detainees. During my visit, the lawyer told me that my family is fine. I broke down in tears and couldn’t believe what I heard."

Detainee (H.D): "We live in constant fear and terror around the clock"

"I was arrested in October 2024 via the [Israeli army] Civil Administration checkpoint. I was subject to field interrogation, then held in the barracks in the Gaza envelope for 110 days before being transferred to Naqab Prison. We continue to live under extremely harsh conditions, facing daily inspections, assaults, and humiliation. They force us to sit on our knees with our hands behind our backs during what they call the 'count – security check.' Diseases are widespread, and fear and terror never leave us, in addition to being denied medical treatment and deliberately starved."

Detainee (A.W): "I suffered severe eyesight damage due to beatings"

"I was arrested in February 2024 from a school in Khan Younis, where the occupation army arrested more than 100 citizens. I was transferred to the barracks for 23 days, then to a detention center near Jerusalem, then to Ofer Prison, and later to Naqab Prison. During the transfer from Ofer to Naqab, I was struck on the head with handcuffs, which caused severe impairment in my left eye, persistent headaches, and loss of balance. I also contracted scabies, which returned after I recovered due to the unsanitary conditions."

Detainee (Kh.Y): "My leg was broken and I received no treatment"

"I was arrested in December 2023 from a school in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood after displacement. I was transferred to the barracks in the Gaza envelope, then to Naqab Prison. During the arrest, I was severely beaten, which caused a fracture in my right ankle joint. I did not receive any treatment despite the intense pain — not even painkillers. I suffer from difficulty walking and constant pain."

Detainee (H.R): "I was attacked by a police dog that tore into my foot"

"I was arrested in October 2024 from Rafah and subject to field interrogation, then stripped of my clothes. A police dog attacked me and bit into my foot. I was later transferred to the Gaza envelope, where I was subjected to 'disco interrogation' method* and other interrogations by intelligence officers, then to Ofer camp, and then to the Russian Compound (Al-Maskoubiyyeh) cells, where I was placed in solitary confinement for four months and subjected to military interrogations in Asqalan. Just a week ago, I was brutally beaten with batons."

*Disco interrogation is a method employed by the Israeli prison forces and was used in Guantanamo to pressure to detainees to make confessions, in which they expose the detainee to very loud music or sounds for prolonged periods of time causing disorientation.

Key Facts About Palestinian Political Detainees Abducted From Gaza:

• Since the genocide in October 2023, human rights organizations have been unable to obtain the exact number of those abducted from Gaza due to the crime of enforced disappearance. However, the number is estimated to be in the thousands.
• The testimonies of detainees taken from Gaza are the most severe, given the scale of crimes committed against them.
• The Israeli occupation has established new camps specifically for holding detainees abducted from Gaza. The most prominent include: Sde Teiman, Anatot, Ofer Camp, Naftali, and the Rakevet section under Ramla Prison.
• The majority of detainees taken from Gaza are held in Naqab Prison and Ofer Prison/Camp.
• According to the Israeli Prison Service, as of early July 2025, the number of Gaza detainees classified as "unlawful combatants" (held without trial or charge) reached 2,454 people— the highest figure recorded since the beginning of the genocide. This number doesnot include those held in army camps, but only those under the management of the Israeli Prison Service.
• The "Unlawful Combatant Law" serves as a main tool for legitimizing the crime of enforced disappearance. It also fundamentally violates international law in both its structure and substance and facilitates the widespread use of torture against Gaza detainees.

In this context, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society affirm that the occupation continues its extermination and crimes in full view of the world, without any meaningful change that might contribute to halting the genocide and the comprehensive aggression against our people. One form of this is the ongoing crimes against prisoners and detainees. Moreover, the continued passage of time while the genocide goes on means that the state of paralysis afflicting human rights organizations has gone beyond mere failure — prompting a necessary question about the purpose of the human rights system itself, especially as the reality of Israeli exceptionalism on the international stage continues to expand.

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