How Israel jails hundreds of Palestinians without charge
BBC NewsDec 30, 2023
The Facts
According to a report published by Israeli human rights group B'Tselem on Monday, Palestinians held in Israeli prisons since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza last October have been subjected to systemic abuse and torture.
Citing testimonies from 55 Palestinians, the report, titled "Welcome to Hell," claims Israel conducted an "institutional policy" focused on the "mistreatment of detainees," including arbitrary violence and sexual abuse.
The Spin
Pro-Palestine narrative
By subjecting Palestinian detainees to degrading physical and mental violence and abuse, including denial of medical care, Israel has defied its obligations under domestic and international law. The Netanyahu government must be held accountable for running an apartheid regime and committing horrific crimes against Palestinians — or such cruel mistreatment would be normalized across Israel's jail system.
Pro-Israel narrative
Allegations of systematic abuse and torture of Palestinian detainees in Israel's prisons are fabricated, inaccurate, and completely blown out of proportion to tarnish Israel's image. On the contrary, Israel is making every effort to address alleged individual cases of abuse of prisoners at its facilities. B'Tselem’s report has purposely omitted the instances of deliberate provocations by Palestinians, indicating its findings are dubious.