Palestinian groups launch campaign on alleged sexual abuse in Israeli prisons

Palestinian rights organisations launched an international campaign on Tuesday to document and combat alleged sexual violence against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

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

Amayreh said many former male and female prisoners were unwilling to speak publicly because of health, security or social concerns. He alleged that he had also been sexually abused while detained. Amayreh, who is from Al-Burj in the southern West Bank, did not give details of his own allegation, but showed boxes of medication he said he began taking after his release.

He said the campaign sought to expose crimes committed against detainees and end what he described as Israel's policy of impunity.

His wife, Sabreen, said sexual violence affects families as well as survivors. She said spouses are often left trying to support traumatised partners while maintaining family stability.

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

The Israeli Prison Service has repeatedly said detainees are held according to the law, that their rights are protected, and that its staff work under continuous judicial oversight.

In May, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards urged Israeli authorities to review their detention policies. Her investigation documented 52 incidents involving different forms of torture or other ill-treatment, and 33 further incidents involving sexual torture or other sexualised ill-treatment.

Palestinian journalist Sami al-Saee, from Tulkarm, alleged that guards subjected him to gang rape during his detention between February 2024 and June 2025. The Israeli Prison Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the testimonies by Amayreh and Saee.

Israel suspended International Committee of the Red Cross visits to Palestinian security detainees after the October 2023 attacks, saying the organisation had failed to obtain access to Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Israel's Supreme Court overturned the ban in June, but visits have not resumed.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club says about 9,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons.