Report: Israeli Forces Sexually Abused Palestinian Prisoners at Sde Teiman

Facts

• The New York Times released a report last week based on a three-month investigation alleging that Israeli forces had tortured and abused Palestinian prisoners at the Sde Teiman army base that has acted as a detention facility.¹
• NYT investigators interviewed former detainees, Israeli military officers, doctors, and soldiers who served at the site. Investigators also visited the base. The report stated that approximately 4K Palestinians from Gaza were held at the facility by late May, many being held without formal charges.¹
• Former detainees interviewed by NYT in addition to a leaked draft of a report written by the UN's primary agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) alleged that detainees were sexually abused by Israeli forces.¹
• An earlier report by CNN in May also alleged widespread abuse of prisoners at Sde Teiman. Earlier this month, during an Israeli Supreme Court hearing regarding abuse at the facility, a state attorney said that Israel was transferring detainees to other sites.²
• Israel has refused to disclose the names, location of detention, and allegations against the thousands of Palestinians from Gaza detained since the war began. The Tel Aviv-based Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and other rights groups have petitioned the Supreme Court to close Sde Teiman.³
• Following the petition, Israel — which claims that its detention of civilians adheres to the Geneva Conventions — has pledged to reform conditions at Sde Teiman and limit the number of prisoners held there. Though Israel has denied the allegations, claiming there are no signs of 'systematic abuse' and that 'individual allegations or abuse' are 'unfounded,' it has launched an investigation.¹

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²CNN and ³Washington Post.

Narratives

• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Unlike its enemies, Israel is a flourishing democracy and takes allegations of torture and abuse seriously. Israel's courts will take the appropriate action to stop any abuse of prisoners that may be occurring in Israel's detention facilities. Human rights groups would be better served spending their energy investigating terrorist groups like Hamas or its backers in Tehran, who systematically torture and abuse with no checks or balances.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Systematic torture in Israeli detention facilities is incredibly well-documented and has been a staple of the occupation for decades. Indeed, it is quite remarkable that such overwhelming evidence has made little impact on international opinion. The international community must do more to pressure Israel to end these practices.