American press also wrote about the prison nightmare

Palestinian detainees recounted severe abuses they experienced, ranging from naked sexual assault to systematic humiliation. Kristof stated, "The US, which finances the Israeli security system, is also complicit in this crime," and called on Washington to "stop the cruelty."

After the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, Israel initiated heavy bombardments on the Gaza Strip, leveling the area and making it uninhabitable. According to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, these bombardments killed approximately 73,000 people, turning Gaza into a graveyard.

However, the systematic cycle of slaughter and violence against Palestinians by the Israeli government extends beyond bombs and bullets. Nicholas Kristof, a writer for the American New York Times newspaper, conveyed the rape, sexual violence, and torture experienced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons through the victims' own words. Kristof, who shared his article on social media with the words, "This is a difficult article to read, but I hope you do. We should all be able to unite in being against rape," states, "The US, which finances the Israeli security system, is also complicit in this crime."

Numerous international institutions have reports on systematic torture and inhumane treatment in Israeli prisons. Some torture images were leaked to the press last year, causing a major crisis within the Israeli army.

DOZENS OF REPORTS PUBLISHED

Since the October 7 attacks, Israel has reportedly detained approximately 20,000 Palestinians in the West Bank alone, with about 9,000 currently imprisoned. Many Palestinians are held for months in prisons under "administrative detention" without formal charges, and access for the Red Cross and lawyers is largely denied.

International reports published in the last two years use increasingly strong language regarding sexual torture and humiliation in Israel's closed detention system. UN-affiliated investigative mechanisms state that Palestinians are subjected to systematic sexual torture, while the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor concluded that Israel is implementing "systematic sexual violence as part of an organized state policy."

Some released Palestinians have begun to speak out about the horrific events they experienced, some due to "we will kill you if you speak" threats from Israeli authorities, and others due to shame and social pressure.

TORTURE FOR NOT BEING AN INFORMANT

Among the 14 Palestinian victims interviewed by the NYT journalist, journalist Sami al-Sai's account is one of the harshest examples of Israel's violence mechanism. Al-Sai says he was offered to be an informant for Israeli intelligence but was tortured after refusing the offer. He recounts that after being detained, a group of guards threw him to the ground, stripped him, and then sexually assaulted him with a bat and a carrot. Al-Sai says he heard the guards laughing, one saying "don't take pictures," and a female guard squeezing his genitals painfully.

A REPEATING ATROCITY

A Palestinian female detainee recounting a similar scenario says she was repeatedly stripped, beaten, and humiliated by guard teams while in detention. According to the woman, the practice was always the same: guards entering the cell would forcibly strip her, handcuff her, force her to bend over, sometimes push her head into the toilet, and then touch every part of her body. The woman states that she cannot even definitively say whether what she experienced was rape because she frequently lost consciousness during the beatings.

CHILDREN ALSO THREATENED

Another journalist from Gaza, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted an incident where guards tied his genitals with plastic handcuffs and tortured him for hours, causing blood to flow in his urine for days. In another incident, he was thrown to the ground, stripped naked, and raped with a dog while blindfolded and handcuffed. The man, a victim of violence, said he "heard the guards taking pictures and laughing hysterically" during this time. 15-year-old children interviewed by the NYT also reported being subjected to threats of sexual violence.

ISRAEL DENIES

Most complaints from Palestinian detainees who undergo horrific torture remain inconclusive; in some cases, charges are dropped, soldiers return to duty, and officials dismiss the allegations as "unfounded."

American journalist Kristof, who wrote about these horrific tortures, suggests that the US administration can stop Israeli violence. The US administration has options such as pressuring Israel to restart Red Cross prisoner visits, object to bombardments after unarmed civilians, and ensure American diplomats can visit victims.