Mastodawn

»+972 and Local Call obtained testimonies from 19 Palestinians, some of whom are current detainees who spoke through their lawyers at the Israeli human rights group HaMoked, and others who were previously held at Ofer Camp and released back to Gaza. They revealed conditions that are “similar, and in some cases identical” to those at Sde Teiman, as attorney Nadine Abu Arafeh from HaMoked explained.«

»Palestinians in Ofer report being handcuffed and, in some cases, shackled by their feet for 24 hours a day — even while sleeping, eating, and using the restroom — with the exception of a brief shower that is allowed, at most, once a week. They also describe facing regular beatings by guards — on one account, to death — along with ongoing humiliation, extreme overcrowding, and a lack of basic hygiene.«

»“They treated us as if we would never see our families in Gaza again. I thought I would leave prison dead.

“One of the young men detained with us was killed during his release: [the soldiers] struck him on the head, and he died immediately,” he continued. “I lost 43kg during my detention due to the lack of food. The only comfort I had was thinking about my family, which helped me dissociate from the reality of imprisonment.”«

»After spending about a month inside Ofer, Rafiq was released back to Gaza, but has continued to suffer from his experiences there. “My hands are paralyzed because of the torture, and I am taking heavy psychiatric medications. I walk dozens of kilometers every day to exhaust myself so I can sleep. I lost my life because of that detention.”«

»All but two detainees who were recently held at Ofer described being kept in handcuffs while inside their cells. A 28-year-old inmate said detainees’ hands are unshackled only “for half an hour a week, for a shower,” and another reported that being in handcuffs 24 hours a day caused his hands to feel “numb.”«

»According to the testimonies, humiliation & violence are part of daily life in Ofer, with guards beating detainees for their own amusement[...]“in the room, we are permitted to stand,” but “every time I move from one section to another, they beat me.”

“Every time the guards walk through the corridor, the detainees have to lie face down on the floor & anyone who does not comply is punished & beaten on the hands,” “The officers curse at us all day.”«

»Many detainees spoke about poor & inadequate food, with identical daily meals primarily consisting of four slices of white bread with a teaspoon of jam, cheese, or chocolate spread, with no source of protein. «

»The food arrives in terrible condition,” «
» Previously, we got five slices, but recently the amount has been reduced. In addition to the bread, each person gets one tomato.”«

»A 32-year-old Gazan detainee who was arrested at Al-Shifa Hospital testified that “all prisoners have lost 20-30kg.” Detainees also reported that prison cells are extremely overcrowded, with many suffering from skin diseases due to the poor hygiene conditions.«

»A 28-year-old father of two, who was arrested in March 2024, also at Al-Shifa, said that 16 people were held in a cell designed for 12. “The others don’t have mattresses, so we take turns,” he explained. Those without a bed are forced to sleep on two-centimeter thick mattresses placed on the cell floor.«

»“Once a week, we’re allowed to change underwear and shower with cold water,” he added. “Clothes are not changed. Every one to two weeks, we’re given a single roll of toilet paper for all the detainees. Soap is only provided during the shower.”«

»There is no laundry service in Ofer, so detainees are forced to wash their single allotted piece of clothing — a gray tracksuit that some have been wearing for four months — in the cell’s sink or toilet. Showers are allowed once every one to three weeks, according to some testimonies, during which prisoners may receive a new pair of underwear.«

»“When there were cases of scabies in the cell, we were allowed to shower once a week,” recounted one prisoner who has been in Ofer Camp since April. “But after they recovered, we returned to the awful routine. There are no toothbrushes, and soap in the cell is only available sometimes.”«

»Disturbingly, some of the detainees only discovered that they were being held in Ofer Camp during meetings with lawyers — weeks or even months after arriving at the facility. «

»Only [since late Oct] do I know I’m in Ofer,” he told his lawyer. “I had a hearing via Zoom. They told me I’m detained until the end of the war, accused of being affiliated with a terrorist organization. I’m a schoolteacher, not connected to Hamas or any hostile activities against Israel.”«