Jon DonnisonIsraeli occupied West Bank
BBC
Sami al-Saei alleges that he was sexually abused by prison guards while being detained without charge
This article contains descriptions of sexual abuse and violence which some readers may find distressing.
Two Palestinian men have told the BBC they personally experienced the kind of beatings and sexual abuse highlighted in recent reports into the treatment of prisoners in Israeli detention.
The United Nations Committee against Torture said last month that it was deeply concerned about reports indicating “a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture and ill treatment” of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails. It said the allegations had “gravely intensified” after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Other reports by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups have detailed what they say is “systematic” abuse.
Israel has denied all the allegations, but rights groups say the fury in the country over the 7 October attacks and the treatment of Israeli hostages in Gaza has created a culture of impunity within the prison services, especially towards detainees who have expressed support for Hamas and its attacks.
Last year, leaked CCTV footage from inside an Israeli military prison showed a Palestinian man from Gaza allegedly being sexually abused by prison guards. That led to a resignation and recriminations at the top of Israel’s military and political establishment.
Sami al-Saei, 46, now works in a furniture shop, but he used to be a freelance journalist in the town of Tulkarm, in the north of the occupied West Bank.
He was arrested by Israeli soldiers in January 2024 after working with reporters to arrange interviews with members of Hamas and other armed groups.
He was detained without being charged for 16 months, under a controversial Israeli system known as administrative detention, before being released this summer.
While he was being held in Megiddo prison in northern Israel, he said, the guards partially stripped him and raped him with a baton on or around 13 March 2024.
He said he had decided to speak to the BBC about his allegations of sexual abuse, despite the risk of being ostracised in the often conservative Palestinian society in the West Bank.
“There were five or six of them,” he said.
“They were laughing and enjoying it. The guard asked me: ‘Are you enjoying this? We want to play with you, and bring your wife, your sister, your mother, and friends here too,'” Mr al-Saei continued.
“I was hoping to die and be done from that, as the pain was not only caused by the rape, but also from the severe and painful beating.”
He said the assault lasted around 15 to 20 minutes, during which time the guards also squeezed his genitals, causing extreme pain.
He said the beatings happened on an almost daily basis, but he was only sexually abused once.
The BBC asked the Israel Prison Service (IPS) for a response to Mr al-Saei’s allegations. It sent a statement, which said: “We operate in full accordance with the law, while ensuring the safety, welfare, and rights of all inmates under its custody.
“We are not aware of the claims described, and to the best of our knowledge, no such incidents have occurred under IPS responsibility.”
We also asked the IPS whether an investigation had been launched into the alleged sexual assault and whether any medical records existed. It did not comment.
IDF handout
Former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned after admitting her role in leaking a video of alleged abuse by Israeli soldiers