Israeli Guards Accused of Rape at Facility Holding Palestinian Prisoners amid Gaza War

The Palestinian Prisoners Club (PPC) and several Israeli media outlets reported the incident on Monday.

"This is a new rape crime committed against a detainee at the Sde Teiman camp (in the Negev Desert) by a group of prison guards," Abdullah Al-Zaghari, head of the PPC, told AFP.

Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz and public broadcaster KAN reported that the victim has suffered serious injuries from the abuse and is unable to walk.

Israeli facilities hold an estimated 9,700 Palestinian prisoners.

Inmates have consistently reported being subjected to torture and sexual abuse.

Since October 7, when Israel launched its war on Gaza, the regime has significantly increased its detention activities in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Human rights statements and prisoner accounts have been rife with reports of intensified torture, including food and water deprivation, intimidation, electrical shocks, mock executions, and violent sexual abuse.

Following Monday's reports, Israeli military police allegedly raided the Sde Teiman center as part of an investigation into the case, detaining 10 troops stationed at the facility.

The police faced resistance from the troops, who barricaded themselves and used pepper spray to avoid arrest.

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's extremist finance minister, described the suspects as "heroic warriors."

Itamar Ben-Gvir, a similarly hard-right official overseeing the prisons, called the Israeli troops the “best heroes” and described the arrests as “shameful.”