Euro-Med: Israel’s Abuse of Palestinian Prisoners Amounts to ‘War Crimes’
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has reported that the deteriorating health conditions of Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli detention reveal a systematic pattern of torture and abuse, extending until their final moments in custody.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Geneva-based organization said, “All released prisoners and detainees were freed under horrific conditions, with Israeli occupation forces storming their homes and reception venues, attacking family gatherings with tear gas and live bullets, and injuring several individuals.”
The organization further stated that Israeli violations have turned into a “systematic policy of retaliation” against Palestinian prisoners, who have been subjected to “severe torture, deliberate starvation, and prolonged solitary confinement” as punitive measures that escalated drastically following the recent events in Gaza.
Earlier, Euro-Med Monitor reported that Palestinians from the Gaza Strip detained by Israel are being subjected to “premeditated murder and extrajudicial executions.”
The organization called for an urgent and comprehensive international investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable, identify victims, exhume bodies, return remains, and deliver justice to affected families.
As part of a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and the Israeli regime, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners have been released in recent weeks, many of whom appeared frail and exhausted upon arrival at hospitals for medical examinations.
Recent reports have shed light on systematic torture, severe beatings, and brutal mistreatment inflicted on Palestinian detainees shortly before their release. The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) noted that “the bodies of abductees reflect the extent of crimes committed against them,” particularly following the events of October 7, 2023.
The PPS detailed cases of “unprecedented torture, deliberate starvation, and systematic medical crimes,” with some detainees suffering from broken ribs due to extreme beatings. Several former prisoners were also reported to have contracted scabies due to the dire health conditions in Israeli detention facilities.
Recently released Palestinians from the Gaza Strip recounted their harrowing experiences of torture, describing how they were blindfolded, beaten, and even attacked by police dogs while in detention.
Currently, at least 14,500 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israeli jails, including 1,115 children.
Hamas has strongly condemned the physical and psychological torture inflicted on Palestinian prisoners, declaring such practices a “full-fledged war crime.” The resistance movement denounced Israel’s mistreatment of detainees and demanded an end to “the horrific violations being carried out by the extremist Zionist regime.”