Palestinian journalist recounts sexual torture by Israeli forces in Sde Teiman prison

A Palestinian journalist's testimony exposes Israeli forces' sexual assault and torture of him at the Sde Teiman detention center, which left him in severe psychological trauma, a leading civil rights organization says.

The Palestinian Center for Journalists’ Protection reported that the journalist had experienced a severe psychological collapse that persisted for over two months.

The journalist, who chose not to disclose his real name due to concerns for his family's safety, was imprisoned in Israeli prisons for a total of 20 months, which included three months at Sde Teiman and one month at Ofer.

Israeli forces abducted him during a raid on the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on March 18, 2024, while he was on duty, wearing his press vest and carrying his camera.

The center characterized the case as one of the most serious crimes against journalists in Israeli prisons.

The journalist reported that he and seven other detainees endured group sexual assaults for nearly three minutes. The Israeli forces pulled them to an isolated area inside the detention center after restraining and blindfolding them.

He subsequently experienced a mental and nervous breakdown, losing his ability to concentrate or perceive normally for over two months.

Doctors and legal experts examined his testimony and confirmed that his symptoms were consistent with acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He said the torture was part of a broader pattern rather than an isolated incident, describing a systematic approach intended to break the will of prisoners.

He further explained that Israeli forces employed dogs as instruments of torture and conducted harsh interrogations. They moved him between various detention facilities in military trucks as he was restrained and blindfolded.

The journalist described the conditions during his approximate 100 days at Sde Teiman as "inhuman". He reported experiencing physical and psychological torture, sleep deprivation, starvation, religious insults, insufficient medical care, and electric shocks.

The journalist added that the sexual assault was the most serious crime he experienced, noting that such violations occurred in secluded rooms, in the presence of Israeli forces and officers, without any oversight or accountability.

He emphasized that the Israeli forces escalated the torture after learning that he was a journalist, accusing him of spreading “misleading information”. They threatened him with a life sentence.

His testimony detailed overcrowded cells, poor hygiene, outbreaks of disease, insufficient food and water, restrictions on prayer, and instances of humiliation. He also reported witnessing the deaths of detainees, including academics and doctors, under mysterious circumstances.

“We spent autumn and winter wearing torn summer clothes. We slept on the floor,” he said. “We entered these prisons alive. We left with exhausted bodies and broken souls. Those who did not die inside came out shattered forever.”

The Palestinian Center for Journalists’ Protection asserted that the crime constitutes rape and sexual torture under the 1984 Convention Against Torture, saying the act could be classified as a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute and as a crime against humanity under Article 7 if it is shown to be systematic and recurrent.

It added that it also constitutes a serious violation of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and represents a direct assault on journalists, who are recognized as protected civilians.

The center stressed the need to refer the case to the International Criminal Court for an immediate and independent investigation, prosecution of those accountable, and provision of medical and psychological care for survivors, and protection for witnesses.

It emphasized that the testimonies of Palestinian journalists constitute an increasing body of evidence regarding systematic torture in Israeli prisons.

Rights group exposes Israel's 'systematic sexual torture' of Palestinian prisoners

Accounts from newly released detainees from Gaza reveal they were systematically raped in Israeli jails.

Last month, the PCHR, in another report, had slammed Israel for carrying out “an organized and systematic practice of sexual torture” against Palestinian detainees from the besieged Gaza Strip.

The PCHR said that its investigators had documented extensive sexual violence against both Palestinian women and men detained by Israeli forces across Gaza over the past two years.

The Sde Teiman detention center came into the limelight after a video leaked in August 2024 showed Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee from Gaza.

The man was taken to the hospital with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and severe rectal injuries.

At least five soldiers were charged with aggravated abuse, causing serious bodily harm, yet none of them were taken into custody or placed under legal restrictions.

Human rights groups reported this month that 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons and detention centers since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

Rights organizations say the number is unprecedented and reflects a collapse in detention standards and almost zero medical and legal oversight.

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