The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory revealed that the “Israeli” occupation army brought groups of “Israeli civilians” (settlers) to the centers and prisons it uses to detain detainees from the Gaza Strip for the purpose of enabling them to witness and follow up on the torture crimes practiced against them, while many of them were allowed to film them on their own phones. .
The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory confirmed in a statement that it had received shocking testimonies from recently released Palestinian prisoners and detainees, in which they reported that the occupation army summoned a number of “Israeli civilians” during interrogation sessions with them to witness the types of torture and inhumane treatment they were subjected to, which the army deliberately practiced in Their presence.
The prisoners and detainees were detained for varying periods inside a detention center in the “Zikim” area on the northern border of the Gaza Strip, and another affiliated with the “Naqab” prison in southern Israel, after they were arrested during ground incursions by Israeli army forces into the Strip.
The released detainees told Euro-Med that the Israeli soldiers deliberately presented them in front of “Israeli civilians” and claimed that they were fighters affiliated with Palestinian factions, and they participated in the attack on the Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory explained that, according to the testimonies it received, groups of Israeli civilians, the number in each group ranging from 10 to 20 people, were allowed to watch and photograph the naked Palestinian prisoners and detainees while the occupation soldiers beat them with metal batons and electric sticks, and poured hot water on their heads. In parallel with insults, verbal insults, and threats to the detainees in Arabic.
Euro-Med stated that this is the first time that these illegal practices have been revealed by carrying out torture in front of Israeli civilians and allowing them to document it with their phones while they laugh, thus adding a new crime to all the crimes committed by the Israeli army against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, especially against prisoners and detainees. Among them, they are subjected to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearance, denial of a fair trial, and brutal torture.
The Palestinian Omar Abu Mudallala (43 years old) told the Euro-Med team: “I was arrested at the checkpoint set up near the Kuwait roundabout, which separates Gaza City from the central region, as part of a campaign of random arrests that was carried out based on the shape and appearance of people. I was subjected to torture and abuse at all stages.” The arrest lasted for about 52 days.” Pointing out that Israeli soldiers “brought civilians to watch our torture naked.”
“Abu Mudallala” added, “The Israeli army brought a number of Israeli civilians into our detention centers while they were beating us, and was telling them, ‘These are Hamas terrorists who killed you and raped your women on October 7,’ while the Israeli civilians were filming the beating, abuse, and torture that we were subjected to on their mobile phones.” “And they were making fun of us.”
He continued, “This happened five times during my detention, once in Barkasat Zikim, and we were blindfolded, but one of the detainees who spoke Hebrew informed us that the soldiers were talking to Israeli civilians and claiming that we were fighters who had been arrested, while the same thing was repeated four other times.” In the detention center in the Negev, successive groups of Israelis were brought inside tents to watch our torture and to film the practices we were subjected to by the soldiers without there being any verbal or physical contact between us and them. I watched them with my own eyes the four times because we were not blindfolded at the time.”
“Abu Mudallala” stated that “one of the detainees who spoke Hebrew tried to explain to the Israeli civilians that they were civilians and we had nothing to do with any military activities, but that also did not help,” pointing out that he was subjected to severe psychological and physical torture, “but he brought Israeli civilians to document the scenes of torture.” “For army soldiers to claim that we killed and raped their relatives was different and shameful.”
Citizen D.H. (42 years old) also reported to Euro-Med: “During the period of my detention, Israeli civilians were brought to witness the abuse and torture that we were subjected to, which the army deliberately began when they were present, and these Israelis sometimes brought their dogs with them to bark.” On us, and they were photographing us with their own phones through social media applications, especially “TikTok,” and the soldiers themselves were doing the same thing, and photographing us through “TikTok.”
The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory was surprised by the inconsistency of the occupation’s claim that those Palestinian civilians who were arrested and tortured in the presence of Israeli civilian groups were fighters who participated in the attack of last October 7, with their later release, which confirms that the Israeli story is false and incorrect, and was used to take revenge on Palestinian civilians. And attacking their dignity by all means.
The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory confirmed that the crimes of torture and inhuman treatment practiced by the Israeli army against Palestinian prisoners and detainees are war crimes and crimes against humanity in accordance with the Rome Statute, and that the behavior of the occupation army by transforming these practices into entertainment scenes for Israeli civilians, and photographing them, involves a serious assault on the dignity of these people. , and treating them in humiliating and degrading treatment, which in itself constitutes a war crime.
Euro-Med warned of the consequences of forcing Israeli civilians into arrest and detention centers, displaying Palestinian detainees in front of them during torture, and letting them use their personal phones to document these inhumane practices, as it is a retaliatory approach, falls within the framework of falsely promoting an Israeli narrative, perpetuates a state of extremism, fuels hatred, and fuels internal Israeli opinion toward committing crimes. More crimes and violations against Palestinians.
He stressed that the vast majority of those arrested from within the Gaza Strip are subject to arbitrary detention without being charged or brought to justice, and no legal requirements have been taken against them, while they are denied a fair trial and are subjected to enforced disappearance, torture and inhuman treatment, calling on the International Committee of the Red Cross to Inspect detention centers and prisons for Palestinian prisoners and detainees, investigate the horrific violations and crimes they are subjected to, and work to reveal their fate immediately.
The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory confirmed that Israeli practices against Palestinian detainees are in clear violation of international conventions and norms, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, including the prohibition of the occupying authority transferring prisoners from the occupied territory to detention centers on its territory, or forcibly disappearing them, or torturing them, or Attacking their dignity, or treating them in a way that degrades their human dignity.