Recently released Palestinian prisoners have shared harrowing testimonies detailing the systematic abuse they endured in Israeli detention. Their accounts reveal shocking acts of torture, including being urinated on, buried alive, and denied medical care, painting a grim picture of inhumane treatment.

Mahmoud Ismail Abukhater, 41, described being stripped to thin garments, beaten with frozen water bottles, and doused in urine. At Sde Teiman detention camp, he was handcuffed for nearly two months, forced to sit motionless for hours, and subjected to simulated drowning or suffocation. Guards buried prisoners in shrouds, allowing just enough air to keep them conscious before repeating the torture.

Musaab Haniyeh, nephew of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, died in January at Ofer Prison after being denied medical care for severe infections. By the time of his death, he had lost over half his body weight.

Before their release, prisoners were psychologically manipulated. Abukhater and others were forced to wear shirts bearing the Star of David and the slogan, “We will never forget, and we will never forgive,” under threat of remaining imprisoned.

Elderly detainees, including 63-year-old Ibrahim al-Majdalawi, were not spared. Al-Majdalawi witnessed diabetic prisoners left untreated until near-death and endured beatings and forced immobility for up to 19 hours daily. Another 62-year-old prisoner repeatedly fainted from abuse, only to be revived with cold water and tormented again.

The psychological scars are profound. Families report released prisoners exhibiting childlike fear and anger, a testament to the trauma inflicted. These testimonies underscore the urgent need for accountability and an end to the systemic abuse of Palestinian prisoners.