Tue Apr 08 08:10:19 UTC 2025: ## Released Palestinian Detainees Accuse Israel of Torture and Sexual Abuse

**Gaza City, Palestine –** Five Palestinian detainees, recently released as part of a now-collapsed Israel-Hamas ceasefire, have made harrowing allegations of torture and sexual abuse at the hands of Israeli prison authorities. The men, arrested in the aftermath of the October Hamas attack, were held under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows indefinite detention without charge.

In interviews with the BBC, the former detainees described brutal treatment, including beatings, electric shocks, being menaced by dogs, and being subjected to chemical burns. One detainee, 36-year-old mechanic Mohammad Abu Tawileh, claimed he was doused with chemicals and set alight, while another, Abdul Karim Mushtaha, 33, reported being denied water and repeatedly beaten.

Further allegations include forced exposure to degrading verbal abuse, including being called “sons of pigs” and “sons of Sinwar,” and being forced to listen to a recording threatening their children. The most serious accusations involve alleged sexual abuse, with one detainee, identified only as Omar, claiming he witnessed and was forced to participate in sexual acts performed on other detainees by Israeli soldiers.

Photographs provided to the BBC show Abu Tawileh’s back covered in severe welts. The detainees also allege a complete lack of medical care and witnessed the deaths of other Palestinians while in custody. A 17-year-old detainee, Ahmed Abu Seif, described regular tear gas attacks in their cells.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) responded to the BBC’s inquiries by rejecting accusations of systematic abuse but declined to address the specific allegations. The IDF stated that individual complaints of misconduct are investigated and that disciplinary actions and criminal investigations are launched when warranted. However, the released detainees’ accounts paint a grim picture of alleged widespread and systematic human rights violations. The international community is likely to demand a thorough and transparent investigation into these serious allegations.

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