Since the events of Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, the country has witnessed unprecedented genocidal Zionist violence—a hysterical and murderous onslaught embodied in the ongoing bloody and collective war of annihilation in the Gaza Strip. This violence also manifested in massacres and horrifying atrocities, accompanied by turning prisons into arenas of extermination targeting Palestinian detainees. The systemic violence in prisons, transforming them into actual war zones with extreme methods of torture and brutality, has turned them into massive death machines, designed to crush and destroy prisoners.
This paper examines the retaliatory and sadistic torture inflicted on detainees, which has surpassed traditional and legal definitions of torture, evolving into a form of genocidal and vengeful torture. This form of torture no longer aims to extract information or confessions, nor to deter or punish; instead, it seeks to annihilate, kill, dismantle, and dehumanize prisoners, reducing them to mere corpses or nothingness, erasing their existence. The detainees' bodies and spirits have become battlefields and fragments in this context. The torture has been a tsunami of brutality, encompassing all Palestinian detainees indiscriminately, involving all levels of the Zionist state apparatus, and rooted in theological and genocidal narratives prevalent in Zionist colonial ideology.
The article collects data on the conditions of prisoners post-October 7, analyzing these reports alongside testimonies of released prisoners to address the core question: What is the structure and methodology of torture in detention centers post-October 7, and how can these images, testimonies, and data be interpreted within the context of colonial violence?
The paper is divided into four sections:
The violent physical and psychological torture of detainees is not new but a continuous practice since the Nakba. It is protected, encouraged, and legitimized by the Zionist state’s institutions at all levels. These institutions have codified violations of Palestinian human rights, providing immunity for war criminals and torturers.
Reports from released detainees during the ongoing Gaza war reveal a hysterical scale of Zionist torture: violence, executions, sexual assault, starvation, beatings, humiliation, and complete isolation from the outside world. These actions violate international laws and conventions, encompassing all forms of visible and invisible annihilation—physical, psychological, cultural, medical, environmental, spiritual, sexual, and social—turning prisons into slaughterhouses and cemeteries for the living.
As of August 2024, the number of Palestinian detainees reached approximately 9,900, with many subjected to enforced disappearance and held in secret camps inaccessible to human rights organizations. These numbers are dynamic, reflecting a systematic cycle of pain that targets every Palestinian. The release of small groups is often followed by the detention of larger ones, overloading the prisons with a revolving population of suffering bodies.
The deaths of 60 detainees since October 7, 2023, due to lethal torture, severe violations, and executions—particularly in the secret Seday Teyman prison—illustrate the deliberate and systematic targeting of prisoners. This torture regime is unprecedented, surpassing even the darkest chapters of history, from medieval inquisitions to Guantanamo Bay, with mass killings in a short period unmatched globally. As documented by B'Tselem, Israeli prisons have become "hell on earth," networks of torture camps where war crimes and crimes against humanity are committed.
The torture in Israeli prisons is characterized by bloodthirsty impulses, lust for killing, and sadistic celebrations of detainees' suffering. Torture is often filmed and shared among perpetrators, showcasing their enjoyment of detainees' pain in grotesque and degrading ways.
The act of torture has evolved into a ritualistic performance, marked by the intentional infliction of pain and the dehumanization of detainees. This systematic abuse is endorsed by Israeli society, which has shifted toward extreme right-wing ideologies, fostering an environment of hatred and violence. Torture has become normalized, viewed as a legitimate act of warfare against Palestinians.
Israeli torture practices transcend conventional definitions recognized under international law, morphing into tools of annihilation—physically incapacitating or killing detainees through starvation, sleep deprivation, sexual assault, beatings, or medical neglect. These practices are rooted in colonial and biopolitical ideologies that seek control over Palestinian bodies and lives, extending even into death.
Religious and ideological justifications underpin these acts. Zionist theology, as detailed in texts like The King's Torah, legitimizes the killing of non-Jews, portraying Palestinians as subhuman threats to be eradicated. This genocidal rhetoric permeates Israeli military and political discourse, framing Palestinians as "animals," "terrorists," and existential threats, justifying extreme violence against them.
Amendments to Israeli laws, such as the 2002 "Unlawful Combatants" law, have legalized unmonitored and unlimited torture under the guise of national security. This framework permits the detention and systematic abuse of Gaza's detainees while maintaining the broader oppression of Palestinians under different legal systems, all designed to strip detainees of basic life essentials and social connections.
Despite international protections for detainees, Israel dismisses these obligations, as evidenced by United Nations reports documenting arbitrary detention, torture, and denial of legal protections. This systematic abuse reflects an intent to erase Palestinian humanity, both physically and symbolically.
The systemic violence in Israeli prisons reflects a colonial imperative to reassert dominance through acts of revenge and dehumanization. This annihilative violence targets the prisoners' humanity, undermining their morale, social fabric, and will to resist.
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About the Author:
Issa Qaraqe: Former prisoner, current head of the Palestinian National Library, and former Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs.