Gaza, 17 April 2024 — Today marks Palestinian Prisoners' Day which is being observed an unprecedented time of suffering for the Palestinian people as a whole, and Palestinian prisoners in particular. More than 9,000 Palestinian detainees currently under Israeli custody are facing unparalleled retaliatory and punitive measures.

Amidst Israel's genocidal military campaign against Gaza, over 3,000 Palestinian residents of Gaza have been detained by Israeli forces. This includes individuals from various demographics, including women, children, the elderly, as well as professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers, and journalists, as revealed in Al Mezan's investigation. Israeli authorities are subjecting Palestinian detainees to multiple forms of cruelty, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment from the moment they are arrested and throughout their detention. To shed light on the plight of Palestinian prisoners, Al Mezan is releasing three poignant testimonies from Palestinian residents of Gaza who were arrested by Israel. These testimonies provide a glimpse into the harsh realities faced by thousands of Palestinian prisoners.

Testimonies from Gaza: Palestinian Woman Abducted from Amr Ibn Al-As School Recounts 46 Days in Israeli Detention

Following multiple forced displacements and surviving an Israeli attack on their shelter home, Nareman and her family sought refuge at Amr Ibn Al-As School. They remained there until December 24, when the school was besieged and raided, and some of its occupants were abducted by the Israeli military. Among them was Nareman, who shared a harrowing testimony of her 46 days of detention at the Anatout military camp's detention center and then Damon Prison.

She told Al Mezan: “Once we arrived at the Mosque yard, one male soldier told me: "You in brown, stay next to the Mosque’s door”. There were about seven of us women there. They asked to see our ID cards. After checking them, the officer asked a female soldier to search me in an isolated place next to the mosque. The female soldier searched me while I was stripped naked and then took me back to the male officer in the yard. He asked me what I had heard about 7 October and whether I was pleased about the events of that day. I was also asked if I had sweets. He told me that Hamas had killed Israelis and had broken through the fence. I replied that we were ordinary people,  that I was  a peaceful person and neither I nor my relatives had any links with  Hamas.”

Testimonies from Gaza: Released Detainee Recalls 30 Days of Torture and Ill-Treatment in Naqab Prison

On 20 November 2023, while heading southward amid Israeli evacuation orders directed at northern Gaza, M.S. was arrested by Israeli forces just a few meters before reaching Wadi Gaza. In his testimony to Al Mezan, he recounted 30 days of torture and ill-treatment while detained in Naqab Prison: “Then they transferred me by bus to the Negev prison, where I was held in a room and beaten for around 15 minutes. This treatment lasted about 12 days, during which time I did not see sunlight, was forced to shower in and drink from unclean water, and slept on tiles on the floor. After that they put me in a tent, where I stayed for nearly 18 days.”

Testimonies from Gaza: Gaza Cancer Patient Arrested And Detained In Israel While Undergoing Treatment

S.D., a 52-year-old father of six, resides in Beit Hanoun, North Gaza District. He has been battling a brain tumor since his diagnosis in 2018, receiving treatment in various hospitals within the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT). At the onset of the ongoing war, he was undergoing treatment at Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, accompanied by his wife. On 9 November, he was arrested by the Israeli police and army while he was staying in Al-Lydd with his wife. He told Al Mezan: “At approximately 02:30 a.m. on Thursday, 9 November 9, 2023, the Israeli army and police raided the apartment. Upon entering, they tied my wrists, blindfolded and arrested me. I was then taken to a detention center in Jerusalem, which consisted of a large container with two cells filled with detainees. I had no information about what had happened to my wife.”

For media inquiries and further information, please contact advocacy@mezan.org