Israel Probes Alleged Abuse of Palestinian Detainees

Facts

• The Israeli military's top prosecutor said on Monday that Israel is investigating reports of abuse and torture of Palestinian detainees at its Sde Teiman military base.¹
• According to Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, '70 military police investigations have been opened into incidents that have raised suspicion of criminal offenses.'¹
• Earlier this month, CNN released a report on the Sde Teiman base alleging widespread abuse and torture of Palestinian prisoners — including the alleged amputation of prisoners' limbs due to injuries sustained from constant handcuffing.²
• The report, based on the testimony of three unnamed sources who worked at the base, also alleged that underqualified medics were encouraged to carry out medical procedures on detainees, earning the facility a reputation for being 'a paradise for interns.'²
• Last week, The Guardian reported that prisoners at the Sde Teiman camp — some captured during Israeli raids on hospitals in Gaza — are detained in cages, shackled to hospital beds, and forced to stand for hours.³
• In March, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees alleged that hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza had been intimidated and humiliated after being captured by Israeli forces during the war with Hamas.⁴

Sources: ¹The Times of Israel, ²CNN, ³Guardian and ⁴New York Times.

Narratives

• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Times of Israel. Israel has been clear that it has no desire to harm civilians or cause unnecessary suffering. The Netanyahu government will look into the reports that Israeli officials used physical and psychological torture against Palestinian civilian detainees at Sde Teiman.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by +972 Magazine. The abuse and torture of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces is not isolated to Sde Teiman but is part of the country's policy to terrorize and punish the Palestinian population. These crimes must end, and Israel must be held accountable.

Predictions