Freed Palestinian detainees campaign against sexual abuse in Israeli jails

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian rights organisations on Tuesday launched an international campaign aimed at documenting and combating sexual violence against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

Campaign coordinator Youssef al-Amayreh, who was released in January after spending two years in Israeli custody, said the initiative had already collected dozens of testimonies from former detainees alleging sexual violence and abuse.

“Unfortunately, dozens of male and female prisoners do not dare to stand up and speak out, either for health reasons or security reasons, or because of social considerations,” said Amayreh, alleging that he had himself been sexually abused in detention.

Amayreh, a resident of the village of Al-Burj in southern West Bank, did not give details of his own experience, but displayed boxes of medication he said he began taking after his release.

He said the campaign aimed to “expose the crimes committed against detainees” and end Israel’s “policy of impunity”.

His wife, Sabreen, described the emotional and social toll on families of survivors, saying spouses are often left navigating trauma while trying to preserve family stability.

“When a person is subjected to sexual violence, the pain does not stop at their body or their psyche, but affects an entire family,” she said.

“The wife becomes a nurse, a psychologist, a father, a mother, and a source of support.”

Israeli, Palestinian and international human rights organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over allegations of torture, ill-treatment and degrading conditions in Israeli detention facilities, particularly since the Gaza war began following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.

The Israeli Prison Service has repeatedly responded that all detainees are held in accordance with the law, that their rights are protected, and that its staff operate under continuous judicial oversight.

In May, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards urged Israeli authorities to review their detention policies.

Read more: Israeli jails a ‘graveyard,’ says freed Palestinian journalist following decline in health

Her investigation documented “52 incidents of different forms of torture or other ill-treatment, and another 33 incidents of sexual torture and other sexualised ill-treatment”.

Palestinian journalist Sami al-Saee from Tulkarm said he had been subjected to “gang rape” by guards during his detention between February 2024 and June 2025.

Israel’s Prison Service did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on Amayreh and Saee’s testimonies.

Israel suspended International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visits to Palestinian security detainees after the October 2023 attacks, arguing that the organisation had failed to secure access to Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Although Israel’s Supreme Court overturned the ban in June, visits have yet to resume. According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, around 9,500 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons.