‘Israeli’ prison guard used as promotional face celebrated detainee’s death in leaked messages

Oshrit Aliga, a former public face of the ‘Israel’ Prison Service (IPS) who appeared in recruitment advertisements training in boxing and declaring her love for “the adrenaline, the action, and the feeling of doing something meaningful,” is at the center of a scandal after leaked WhatsApp messages revealed her private reaction to the November 2023 death of Palestinian detainee Thaer Abu Assab.

Abu Assab, a 38-year-old Fatah member detained since 2005 on alleged attempted-murder charges related to a shooting, died at Ketziot Prison in the Negev after a severe beating on November 18, 2023.

According to the indictment, the assault was ordered by shift commander Walid Hatib after Abu Assab asked a guard whether a ceasefire was in effect in Gaza.

A horrific expose on the murder of Palestinian prisoner Tha'er Abu Assab, a Palestinian prisoner at Ketziot prison by guards in November 2023 appeared in Haaretz today.

Among the most damning evidence in the case are the texts of one warden, Oshrit Aliga, who as you can see in… pic.twitter.com/E2WUSZeVTA

— Shaiel Ben-Ephraim (@academic_la) September 7, 2026

Guards entered Cell 6 in Wing 24 during the evening count and attacked the detainees with fists, kicks, and batons; Abu Assab suffered multiple broken ribs and tears in his heart that led to cardiac failure.

Twelve IPS personnel have been charged with reckless homicide and related assault offenses in connection with the incident and the beating of eight other detainees.

Aliga herself was not among those indicted.

Haaretz reported that she and other female guards stood near the cell entrance—close enough to smell the blood but outside the direct physical assault.

In messages seized by investigators, Aliga texted a friend on the night of the death: “Sweetie, here is an update for you, he’s dead now.”

She added that she was “very happy and satisfied,” described “a lot of blood,” and said the detainees had been “broken.”

In a follow-up she wrote that she was “ready to put my career on the line for this” and was “at peace with it,” claiming the commander had briefed staff that he wanted to “break them” and invited anyone uncomfortable to step aside.

Other exchanges from December 2023, after new Palestinian detainees arrived, further illustrated the tone.

Aliga referred to detainees as “Amalek-son whores,” described preparing a “proper Shabbat reception” for blindfolded men in underwear, and joked about her baton: “My club is fine, after a fair number of disinfections.”

When asked if she hit detainees, she replied that it was “routine” and that in the next round, “if I haven’t cracked one of his kidneys, as far as I’m concerned I’m not going into the wing.”

She also told her partner, a fellow guard, that after guards tired of beating new arrivals the commander had removed his belt and joined in.

A Haaretz opinion piece published this week framed the messages as evidence of a broader “culture of pathological sadism” rather than isolated misconduct, noting the contrast with Aliga’s earlier promotional image and the IPS’s portrayal of the work as meaningful action.

Human-rights groups have documented at least 105 Palestinian deaths in ‘Israeli’ custody since October 7, 2023, citing patterns of abuse, neglect, and violence.

Aliga later told investigators she regretted the messages, saying she had been “trying to impress people and got carried away.”