'Israeli' soldiers urinate on, bury Palestinian detainees alive: Report

Several Palestinian political prisoners recently freed in the latest prisoner exchange have shared harrowing accounts of the torture they endured in 'Israeli' prisons, with descriptions of extreme physical and psychological abuse, according to a report shared by Middle East Eye (MEE).

One of the most disturbing methods included 'Israeli' soldiers urinating on political prisoners. "They would urinate in a container and then pour it over our faces and bodies," recalled Mahmoud Abukhater, a freed detainee. "It was one of the worst forms of humiliation we endured."

He also described the cruel treatment detainees faced before being transferred to prison. "Our hands and feet were shackled, and they struck us with frozen water bottles and bottles filled with olives."

Another political prisoner, Ibrahim Abdulrazzaq al-Majdalawi, 63, who was also detained at notorious Sde Teiman military detention camp, described being stripped of his clothes despite the bitter winter weather.

"They stripped us of all our clothes, even our underwear, and gave us only thin garments. The soldiers would scold and beat us whenever we did anything or uttered a word," he said.

"Some of the punishments for speaking or moving without permission included standing on one foot for hours."

Abukhater shared further terrifying details of his detention. "They forced us to sit from dawn until midnight without moving, and we were only allowed to go to the toilet with permission and with our hands shackled. Sometimes the officer allowed it, other times he didn’t, and many detainees ended up urinating on themselves," he said.

"They also made us take freezing cold showers every other day, no matter how harsh the winter was. If they found out someone hadn’t bathed, they would punish and torture them immediately."

One of the cruelest methods used at the camp involved pretending to drown or suffocate detainees. Abukhater explained: “They’d place us in a shroud, hook us up to a camera and hose, and bury us. Just when we felt we were going to die, they’d let in a little air to keep us alive.”

Other political prisoners recounted witnessing the slow death of Musaab Haniyeh, the nephew of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was tortured until his death at Ofer Prison. “His wounds were so severe that worms emerged, and he became incontinent,” Abukhater said. “They provided no medical care. He arrived in good health, but after months of torture, he had withered to half his original weight.”

In addition to the inhumane physical abuse, detainees faced severe medical neglect. Ibrahim al-Majdalawi, 63, spoke of the constant scolding and beatings he received, despite his age. He translated for fellow detainees, at the command of 'Israeli' soldiers, and witnessed a diabetic detainee’s critical condition being ignored by officers.

“Despite his condition, they ignored him for a long time,” al-Majdalawi recalled. “When they finally took him to medical care, they continued to mistreat him.”

One 62-year-old former prisoner, who was detained for months at Sde Teiman, described a similar experience. He suffered from various medical conditions, including diabetes and prostate issues, and was subjected to both physical abuse and neglect. “When I fainted, they would revive me with cold water and then continue the abuse. I couldn’t escape the pain,” he said.

The emotional trauma remains long after release, as relatives of the freed political prisoners shared. One family member of a released detainee explained, “Since his release, he has struggled with deep psychological scars. He reacts violently to small triggers and is terrified of everything.”

Despite the cruelty faced by these men, they expressed resilience and anger. Abukhater recalled that during their release, 'Israeli' forces forced them to wear shirts emblazoned with the Star of David and the words, “We will never forget, and we will never forgive.” He said, “We burned them the moment we were free.”

These testimonies shed light on the horrors of Palestinian detainees under 'Israeli' custody and underline the urgent need for accountability. Human rights organizations and international bodies continue to call for investigations into the allegations of torture and abuse, demanding justice for the victims of these inhumane practices.