Three Israeli whistleblowers have detailed the abuse of Palestinian prisoners in the Sde Teiman military base, located in the southern Negev region.
Risking legal repercussions and reprisals, the whistleblowers revealed this mistreatment and torture of Palestinian captives to CNN – which then published a report on the disclosures on May 10. The report shed light on disturbing practices and scenes in the detention facility where Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are being imprisoned.
The whistleblowers – who all formerly worked at Sde Teiman – described scenes of detainees subjected to extreme physical restraint, including being blindfolded and handcuffed for extended periods and enduring punishment for minor infractions. They also recounted harrowing scenarios such as strapping injured captives to beds, feeding them through tubes and even performing amputations due to constant handcuffing. (Related: Gazans held in ‘torture camp’ by Israeli army: Report.)
"We were told they were not allowed to move. They should sit upright. They're not allowed to talk. Not allowed to peek under their blindfold," one Israeli whistleblower said.
Another whistleblower, who served as a medic at the field hospital within the camp, described how detainees were stripped of their dignity and subjected to punishment rather than being treated for their injuries.
"[The beatings] were not done to gather intelligence. They were done out of revenge," said the third whistleblower. "It was punishment for what they [the Palestinians] did on Oct. 7 and punishment for behavior in the camp."
Medical personnel at the facility also allegedly participated in abusive practices, with reports of underqualified medics performing medical procedures without proper training or anesthesia. Shockingly, there are accounts of amputations being carried out on detainees due to injuries sustained from constant handcuffing.
"The detention camp is one of three holding an unknown number of Palestinians from Gaza, who are often swept up randomly en masse and accused of fighting with the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas," The Cradle noted. "Under Israel’s recently passed Unlawful Combatant Law, the abducted Palestinians can be held for 45 days before they are either released or transferred to the formal Israeli prison system."
18 Palestinians, including prominent surgeon, die while in Israeli custody
According to CNN, 18 Palestinians – including prominent surgeon Dr. Adnan al-Bursh – have died while in Israeli detention. Another surgeon, Dr. Mohammed al-Ran, was detained for 44 days and survived to tell his story. Al-Ran, a Palestinian with Bosnian citizenship, was interviewed by CNN last month.
Al-Ran was the head of the surgical unit at the Indonesia Hospital in the northern Gazan city of Beit Lahiya. The hospital was among the first to be targeted and seized during Israel's extensive aerial, ground and naval offensive. He fled the relentless bombings in Gaza's north and sought refuge at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, and was arrested by Israeli authorities on Dec. 18.
He described being forcibly stripped to his underwear, blindfolded, and his wrists bound before being unceremoniously loaded onto a truck with other detainees who were similarly scantily clad. They were transported to a remote detention camp in the heart of the desert, piled atop one another in the back of the truck during the journey.
"We looked forward to the night so we could sleep. Then we looked forward to the morning in hopes that our situation might change," al-Ran told CNN at the time. He recalled his detainment at a military facility where he said he endured desert temperatures, swinging from the heat of the day to the chill of night.
The Israel Defense Forces denied the whistleblowers' accusation of torture and unnecessary detention of Palestinians. "If there is no reason for continued detention, the detainees are released back to Gaza," it said in a statement.
Listen to the Health Ranger Mike Adams' warning about Israel potentially committing genocide against the more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on the Oct. 10, 2023 edition of "Brighteon Broadcast News."
This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.
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Top Gaza surgeon tortured and killed in Israeli prison.
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