Three Israeli whistleblowers have
come forward to CNN investigative reporters with harrowing allegations about what goes on inside their military's detention camp at Sde Teiman. Even though they are at risk of consequences and retaliation from their fellow Israelis and internal groups, they had the courage to bring alleged
horrific human rights violations against Palestinian prisoners to light.
Sign the petition asking that the UN Human Rights Council mandate an investigation body to look into these allegations, and protect these whistleblowers in the process.The Israeli military has been holding Palestinians at Sde Teiman since the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023.
Many detainees were cleared of all militant suspicions and officially declared innocent -- including Palestinian doctors and other medical workers that were rounded up during hospital raids by Israeli forces.
While at the detention camp, whistleblowers allege military forces have subjected these prisoners to
outright torture.One of the whistleblowers alleged that guards subjected the detainees to extreme beatings -- not to gather intelligence, but rather out of revenge and anger towards Palestianians -- seemingly whether they had Hamas ties or not. Other allegations are as follows:
- Open wounds left to rot, filling the air with the smell
- Prisoners' hands being constantly zip-tied or handcuffed, to the point where they needed amputations
- Medical procedures being performed by underqualified medics - and without anesthesia
- Detainees being stripped of their clothing and forced to wear diapers
- Detainees being placed in extreme physical restraint and stress positions
- Detainees sustaining broken teeth and bones from beatings
- Physical punishment for speaking to each other
- Constant blindfolding, leaving them disoriented, vulnerable, and terrified
- Setting dogs on sleeping detainees in the middle of the night
One whistleblower, who served as a medic, details truly horrifying alleged conditions in hospital wings. He describes prisoners being stripped entirely naked other than diapers, strapped to a bed, blindfolded, and fed through tubes. Imagine the feeling of not being able to move or see and being totally naked -- the psychological torture of not knowing what was going to be done physically to you at any moment, and the inability to stop or avoid it, must be unbearable.
If these accounts are true, this means that innocent Palestinians are being treated outside of what international law demands for civilian human dignity and rights, and even suspected militants are being treated outside of the humane standards that the Geneva Convention demands.
Before these whistleblowers recently came forward, Sde Teiman had already come under scrutiny from both Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations. Israeli activists have held protests demanding this place be shut down. We elevate their voices today in defense of human rights and dignity, according to international law.
Sign the petition if you want the UN Human Rights Council to investigate the treatment of Palestinians at Sde Teiman. They must also protect the whistleblowers and previous detainees that have spoken out about conditions there!