WASHINGTON (Palestine Foundation Information Center) An investigation conducted by the American network CNN has revealed aspects of the violations committed by the Israeli occupation army against prisoners from the Gaza Strip held in a secret detention center in the Negev Desert.
CNN reported that testimonies from three Israelis who worked there revealed that Palestinian prisoners are incarcerated in extremely harsh conditions in a military base that has now become a detention center in the Negev Desert.
One of them said that foul odors fill the detention center where the blindfolded men are crowded together and prohibited from speaking or moving.
He also said that the doctors in the detention center sometimes amputate prisoners’ limbs due to injuries caused by their continuous handcuffing, and unqualified doctors sometimes perform medical procedures. The air is filled with the smell of neglected wounds left to fester.
CNN interviewed the three individuals who worked at the Sde Teiman desert detention center, and they all spoke openly, exposing themselves to legal and retaliatory consequences.
According to the accounts, the facility, located about 18 miles from the Gaza border, is divided into two sections: containers housing approximately 70 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza under severe physical restraints, and a field hospital where injured detainees are connected to their beds while wearing diapers.
One of the sources, who worked as a paramedic in the field hospital, said, ‘They dehumanized them.”
Another source added that Israeli soldiers used physical force against the prisoners, not to gather intelligence but as punishment for what the Palestinians did on October 7th.
It should be noted that the Israeli prison administration announced in early April that they were holding 849 detainees classified as illegal combatants, and this figure does not include Gaza prisoners held in camps.
The Israeli occupation army continues to carry out the crime of forced disappearance against Gaza detainees since October 7th, denying legal teams access to visit or communicate with them. The available information is still limited; institutions have obtained it through released prisoners.
The testimonies of released Gaza prisoners and the clear signs of torture on their bodies reflect the level of crimes and brutality carried out by the occupation forces against them, including detainees who have been martyred as a result of torture and medical crimes. Until today, the occupation army has not revealed their identities or the conditions of their detention.
