The Israeli army tortured Palestinian prisoners by beating them with metal batons, electric batons, and pouring hot water on their heads (Getty)

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor announced a disturbing discovery related to the Israeli occupation prisons, as it revealed that the Israeli army invited groups of Israeli civilians to attend investigation sessions with Palestinian prisoners to witness and document the crimes of torture to which they are subjected.

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory received shocking testimonies from Palestinian prisoners and detainees who were recently released, as they confirmed that the Israeli army summoned Israeli civilians, the number of which ranges from 10 to 20 people in each group, to witness the torture and cruel treatment to which they are subjected.

The testimonies added that the prisoners were detained in detention centers in the Zikim area and the Negev prison, where they were beaten with metal batons and electric sticks, and hot water was poured on their heads, in the presence of Israeli civilians who were filming the crimes on their mobile phones.

According to the Observatory, the prisoners were stripped naked and subjected to torture in public, with the participation of Israeli civilians, as they were beaten and insulted in Arabic.

Euro-Med stated that this is the first time that these illegal practices have been revealed, by carrying out torture in front of Israeli civilians and allowing them to document it with their phones while they mocked them.

Shocking testimonies

The Palestinian Omar Abu Mudallala (43 years old) stated, in an interview with the Euro-Med team, that he was arbitrarily arrested by the Israeli checkpoints set up near the Kuwait Roundabout, which separates Gaza City from the central region, as part of an arrest campaign that the region witnessed.

Abu Mudallala explained that he was subjected to torture and abuse during a period of detention that lasted for about 52 days, noting that Israeli soldiers brought civilians to watch their torture naked.

Abu Mudallala pointed out that the Israeli soldiers filmed the torture and abuse, and mocked them, claiming that they were “Hamas terrorists” and that they had killed and raped their relatives.

Abu Mudallala concluded his speech by emphasizing that he and his colleagues were subjected to severe psychological and physical torture, considering the presence of Israeli civilians and their documentation of torture with false claims from soldiers that they killed and raped their relatives, as disgraceful and disgraceful.

Citizen D.H. (42 years old) also testified, revealing the tragic conditions to which he and his colleagues were subjected during their detention, as the Israeli army began to carry out hazing operations in the presence of civilians.

Some of them were bringing their dogs to bark at the prisoners, and they were filming them through social media applications, including TikTok.

A new war crime

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory expressed its surprise at the conflicting claims of the Israeli army, which claimed that the detainees were fighters who participated in a previous attack and were later released, considering that this story is false and incorrect, and was used to take revenge on Palestinian civilians and attack their dignity.

The Observatory confirmed that crimes of torture and inhuman treatment practiced by the Israeli army are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity. He warned against involving Israeli civilians in such practices, considering it a war crime.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor stressed the tragic legal situation to which Palestinian detainees are subjected inside the Gaza Strip, where they are subjected to arbitrary detention without any charges being brought against them or being brought before the judiciary. In addition to ignoring their legal rights, preventing them from a fair trial, and subjecting them to forced disappearance, torture, and inhuman treatment.

The Observatory renewed its call for the International Committee of the Red Cross to inspect detention centers and prisons for Palestinian prisoners and detainees, investigate the horrific violations and crimes to which they are exposed, and work to reveal their fate immediately.

The Observatory confirmed that Israeli practices against Palestinian detainees contradict international conventions and norms, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibits the transfer of prisoners from the occupied territories to detention centers in the occupied territories, and criminalizes forced disappearance, torture, and attacks on human dignity.

This new crime is added to a long record of violations against Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian areas. This register includes prisoners and detainees who are subjected to arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, denial of a fair trial, torture and brutal treatment.

Source: Al Jazeera