GAZA CITY: New testimonies from Gaza detainees incarcerated in the Naqab Prison indicate the use of torture as a weapon of war by Israeli forces. These accounts highlight the brutality and systematic violence faced by detainees, as well as a health crisis exacerbated by the spread of scabies used as a form of torture.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) and the Palestinian Authority's Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs have compiled testimonies from detainees suffering extreme conditions. The detainees report being covered in sores due to scabies, with many shivering in the tents section of the prison, where cold temperatures intensify their suffering.
The accounts reflect a consistent pattern of violent abuse targeting Gaza detainees, as the number of fatalities among Palestinian prisoners continues to increase. Fifty-four confirmed victims have died since the beginning of the ongoing conflict, with several detainees feared killed under mysterious circumstances.
One detainee, identified only by the initials M.R., recounted his detention in March 2024 in Sheikh Zayed City. He described relentless torture, being shackled, blindfolded, and denied movement for 24 hours a day. During interrogation, he faced severe physical abuse and was coerced into signing a fabricated confession. The detainee reported that the scabies outbreak in the Negev Prison left many prisoners unable to sleep due to severe itching and rashes.
Another detainee, M.H., shared his experience of brutal physical abuse during his detention at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He endured a full day of beatings and degrading acts like being drenched in sewage and urine. For 27 days, he remained kneeling, shackled, and blindfolded in deplorable conditions, describing life in Naqab Prison as a "living death."
Several detainees reported the persistent presence of scabies, with painful boils and rashes exacerbating their suffering. Inadequate treatment leaves them in constant agony, as recounted by detainee H.R., who was subjected to hot water torture and transferred to Negev Prison, where the scabies crisis worsened.
Detainee A.N. described prison conditions as so unbearable that death seemed preferable. He detailed the freezing cold, insufficient clothing, lack of food, and the scabies outbreak's devastating impact on detainees' health.
J.S., another detainee, recounted his struggle with scabies, his body covered in sores, and the extreme pain preventing him from walking or standing. He recalled the suffering of martyr Ashraf Abu Warda, who passed away on December 29, 2024, after being severely affected by the harsh conditions.
S.A., another detainee, revealed that prison authorities intentionally confiscate mattresses in the morning, returning them only at night or sometimes delaying until midnight, forcing detainees to endure freezing temperatures throughout the day.
