This article contains descriptions of sexual abuse and violence which some readers may find distressing.
Two Palestinian men have told the BBC they personally experienced the kind of beatings and sexual abuse highlighted in recent reports into the treatment of prisoners in Israeli detention.
The United Nations Committee against Torture said last month that it was deeply concerned about reports indicating 'a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture and ill treatment' of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails. It said the allegations had 'gravely intensified' after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Other reports by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups have detailed what they say is 'systematic' abuse.
Israel has denied all the allegations, but rights groups say the fury in the country over the 7 October attacks and the treatment of Israeli hostages in Gaza has created a culture of impunity within the prison services, especially towards detainees who have expressed support for Hamas and its attacks.
Sami al-Saei, 46, now works in a furniture shop, but he used to be a freelance journalist in the town of Tulkarm, in the north of the occupied West Bank. He was arrested by Israeli soldiers in January 2024 after working with reporters to arrange interviews with members of Hamas and other armed groups.
While he was being held in Megiddo prison in northern Israel, he reported being sexually abused and beaten by guards. He shared harrowing details of his treatment, revealing how he was partially stripped and raped with a baton while guards laughed.
Another detainee, Ahmed (a pseudonym), also shared his experiences of sexual humiliation involving a police dog, detailing severe abuse during his time in detention after being arrested for incitement to terrorism.
Reports of such abuses have surged as the number of Palestinian detainees has increased significantly since the escalation of conflict, raising concerns among rights organizations and prompting calls for accountability.
The UN Committee against Torture has condemned the ongoing violence but also stressed the importance of addressing human rights violations occurring within detention facilities.
Human rights organizations in Israel assert that these practices are systematic and aim to degrade and torture Palestinians under Israeli occupation, with complicit governmental policies failing to protect detainees' rights.
