Palestinian Prisoners Tell Of Terrible Conditions In Israeli Prisons: Natural Amputation, Lung Fibrosis To Trauma

JAKARTA - Palestinian prisoners who were released from the Gaza Strip said they experienced interrogation to torture that left them injured, sick, and trauma that would not be forgotten.

About 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been released in recent weeks by Israel, in exchange for the release of 33 Hamas hostages in the Gaza Strip, in addition to 5 Thai hostages who were repatriated in an unscheduled release.

The exchange is part of a gradual ceasefire that halted fighting on January 19, after 15 months of war that has devastated the Palestinian enclave.

Ibrahim Al Shawish, 45, a teacher from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, told The National he was turning a blind eye and transferred to an unknown number of detention centers following his arrest in December 2023 at a Gaza school.

"They stripped us naked in cold weather and interrogated us in unbearable conditions," he told The National as quoted March 7.

"It was a real nightmare," he continued.

Al Shawish further said he was dragged naked on the broken glass, leaving his body injured and bruised.

"When they dragged me, the soldiers threw the most heinous insult at me, at my family," he said.

"My body was torn apart, but they refused to provide any medical assistance. I suffered silent when my wounds were infected and my pain continued for weeks," she broke out.

The psychological impact is just as terrible. "They told me that my family had been killed in Gaza, in hopes of destroying me, destroying my spirits. I believed in them, just to find out, when I was finally released, that they were still alive," he said, holding back tears.

Al Shawish described the prison as a cold and oppressing place, where the basic dignity of mankind is eroded.

"We close our eyes 24 hours a day, are prohibited from moving or even leaning on anything. We eat, sleep, and defecate in the same position, completely restrained," he said.

"He also saw three prisoners killed," he told The National.

"I watched them die in front of my eyes, the victims of endless torture and neglect. We were given nothing, clean water, comfort, basic courtesy. We were forced to shout support to Israel and condemn resistance. It was like a real hell," he said.

Despite being released on February 8, he said he would "bring the former torture forever".

Another prisoner released last month, Ibrahim Al Ghouti, from Rafah, said torture in prison had left him with lung fibrosis, a disease that causes scar tissue in his lungs and makes him difficult to breathe. The disease can be triggered by exposure to poison.

"When they finally free me, I was just a shell from myself first," said Al Ghouti (52).

"The conditions in detention were very inhumane, naked, blindfolded, and lost. I had difficulty breathing and they didn't offer any help. I was left dead, slowly," he said.

He was eventually transferred to the hospital, but the torture did not stop.

"I was interrogated even at the hospital. The doctors, they are not real doctors. They are soldiers who disguise themselves," he explained.

Al Ghouti said he was arrested during Israel's ground operations in Gaza at the end of 2023 and released on February 27 this year.

"The scars, physical and emotional wounds will never fade," he said.

Meanwhile, another Palestinian prisoner, Thabet Abu Khater, who was arrested in December 2023, said he had lost one leg in prison for having to be amputated due to severe torture and medical negligence.

"It was intentional. The appeal was meant to kill us slowly, to destroy us from the inside out," he said bitterly.

"The injuries he sustained in the prison bathroom were not treated, which caused severe infection and swelling," he told The National.

"I was left to suffer, without relief, without treatment, until they decided to amputate my legs," he said.

His request for diabetes treatment was also rejected, describing prison conditions as "a major disaster beyond the reach of any human mind".

"I thank God because I am free. However, my body and soul bear the burden of torture that I experienced," he said.

"The scar is not only physical, now the scar is part of me," he concluded.

It is known that human rights groups have long accused Israel of torturing prisoners and inmates in prisons. In a report in November 2023, Amnesty International documented that prisoners were swallowed up and beaten.

The United Nations has gathered similar testimonies, with High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk saying last July, evidence suggests Israeli authorities may have committed "terrible acts" against detainees, including "waterboarding and releasing dogs".

Israel denies the allegations, insisting its treatment of Palestinian prisoners complies with international law.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to questions from The National regarding claims made by detainees in this news.