Extreme left-wing Israeli activist group B'Tselem alleged in a report released Monday that Israel has conducted a systematic policy of prisoner abuse and torture since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, subjecting Palestinian detainees to acts ranging from arbitrary violence to sexual abuse.
The group said the report was based on interviews with 55 Palestinians from Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, who were detained in Israeli prisons since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that set off the war, most of them without being tried.
A spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service told The Jerusalem Post that all prisoners were treated according to the law and all fundamental rights were fully applied by professionally trained guards.
"The Israel Prisons Service is part of Israel's security and enforcement system and operates according to law and under the constant supervision of the State Comptroller and many other official supervisors," the prison service said in response to the report.
"All prisoners are held in accordance with the law, and their rights are upheld in full by prison service combat soldiers and professional and trained commanders."
The IPS said that the claims in the report were not formally presented to it and are, as far as it knows, completely untrue. The IPS added that every prisoner and detainee can submit an official complaint, which will be examined.
The IPS added that "since the outbreak of the war, under the direction of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the conditions for security prisoners in prison were worsened. In accordance with the minister's policy, improved conditions for the prisoners that they received in the past were stopped."
B'Tselem detailed allegations that Palestinian prisoners were subjected to arbitrary beatings, degrading and humiliating treatment, and sleep deprivation, as well as "the repeated use of sexual violence, in varying degrees of severity."
"The overall picture indicates abuse and torture carried out under orders, in utter defiance of Israel's obligations both under domestic law and international law," the report said.
IDF responds
The IDF told The Post in response that it operated in accordance with Israeli and international law. "The IDF operates according to Israeli law and international law, and protects the rights of people held in prison facilities under its responsibility. Any abuse of detainees, whether during their arrest or during their interrogation, violates the law and the IDF's guidelines and as such is strictly prohibited. The IDF views with extreme severity any act of this type, which goes against its values and examines in-depth concrete allegations concerning the abuse of detainees.
"The IDF outright rejects claims concerning the systematic abuse of detainees in the correctional facilities under its responsibility," the military added.
Reliability of B'Tselem
Critics have raised significant concerns about the reliability of B'Tselem's data collection methods. Prominent among them is IDF Col. Jonathan Dahoah Halevi (res.), who argues that B'Tselem's methods are flawed, particularly in classifying casualties and omitting crucial information. For instance, Dahoah Halevi claims that B'Tselem significantly underreports the number of military combatants killed, misclassifying many as non-combatants. Additionally, the "Armed with Cameras" project has come under fire, with accusations that some of the footage results from deliberate provocations by Palestinians, thereby questioning the accuracy of B'Tselem’s descriptions of events and their impact on Israel's image.
The credibility of B'Tselem's field investigators, most of whom are Palestinians living in conflict areas, has also been a point of contention. Specific instances, such as the revelation of an investigator being a Holocaust denier, have cast doubt on the impartiality and accuracy of their reports. While B'Tselem's spokespersons defend their data, citing on-ground investigations as a basis for reliability, critics argue that the organization’s reliance on internet sources and amateur data collection leads to unreliable conclusions. This criticism extends to the perceived impact on Israeli security, with officials like former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman asserting that B'Tselem's activities hinder the effectiveness of Israeli security forces in combating terrorism.
The public and political backlash against B'Tselem has intensified following primary military operations such as Operation Cast Lead and Operation Protective Edge. This has resulted in actions like closing a B'Tselem video exhibition and revoking their right to national service volunteers, reflecting widespread disapproval. Internal disputes within B'Tselem have further complicated the situation, with disagreements over the organization's stance towards Hamas and the portrayal of events leading to the dismissal of senior member Roy Yelin. These internal tensions highlight ongoing debates about the organization's direction and policies, adding another layer to the controversy surrounding B'Tselem’s work and its broader implications.