Palestinian Detainees Reveal “Systematic Torture” in Israeli Naqab Prison

Palestinian detainees held in Israel’s Naqab prison have shared harrowing testimonies of widespread abuse, with claims that the Israeli authorities are using scabies, a contagious skin disease, as a tool of torture.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, after visiting the prison, released these accounts, warning of the increasing dangers facing detainees from Gaza.

One detainee, identified as MR, described enduring “all forms of torture” since his arrest in Sheikh Zayed city in March 2024. “I saw death a thousand times,” MR recalled, detailing physical abuse and being forced to sign a fabricated confession.

“The situation in Naqab prison is tragic,” he said, noting the widespread presence of scabies among the prisoners, which leaves them suffering from sores and itching, preventing them from sleeping.

MH, another detainee, provided a similar account, sharing that Israeli forces subjected him and others to humiliation, including throwing sewage water and urinating on them.

He recounted being shackled, blindfolded, and forced to kneel for a month before being transferred to Naqab. “We are dying a slow death at every moment,” he said.

Hot water torture was also reported by detainee HR, who was later moved to Naqab. Meanwhile, AN described the brutal conditions, saying, “Death is more merciful than what we are living in prison.” Despite the arrival of winter, he said prisoners were still forced to wear summer clothes and suffer extreme cold, hunger, and disease.

JS, another detainee, struggled with severe physical consequences from the abuse, stating, “Today, I can hardly stand or walk easily” due to scabies and physical torture. He also recounted the death of his cellmate, Ashraf Abu Warda, who had lost the ability to speak, remember, and even stand before passing away.

In another form of mistreatment, SA shared that the prison administration intentionally removes mattresses every morning, returning them late at night, further punishing the detainees with the harsh cold. Other prisoners confirmed this report.

These testimonies are part of a larger collection of accounts highlighting the systematic torture and abuse faced by Palestinian detainees, particularly those from Gaza, in Israeli prisons.

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, at least 54 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody.

The genocidal war has led to more than 45,000 Palestinian deaths and over 108,000 injuries, with thousands more presumed dead under the rubble.

In August, the Israeli rights group B'Tselem also condemned the abuse, saying that Israel's prison camps were sites of severe violence and sexual assault against Palestinians, marking a troubling pattern of mistreatment since the onset of the war.