Most of the bodies of the more than 100 dead Palestinians that Israel has released remain unidentified. They were sent back to Gaza marked with numbers instead of their names, leaving family members of missing Palestinians desperately poring over pictures of the bodies, hoping to recognize their loved ones.
One thing is clear from the marks left on these bodies—and from the blindfolds and handcuffs still on some of them: they had been tortured before their deaths, and were possibly executed.
The torture claims have been confirmed by Palestinian detainees released alive by Israel as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, which has also seen the release of Israeli captives from Gaza. Reports of Israel torturing Palestinian detainees in its jails have been common for years and have intensified since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, with some Israeli politicians even defending the practice.
According to the United Nations, at least 75 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli jails since October 7, 2023.
### Documented Abuse in Detention
One particularly notable documented incident involved the gang rape of a Palestinian prisoner by guards at the notorious Sde Teiman detention facility in Israel last year. Verified video footage shows Israeli prison guards using their shields to hide from cameras before proceeding with the assault, which left the victim unable to walk, Israeli media reported.
### Abuse Visible on Returned Bodies
The condition of the bodies returned to Gaza is harrowing. Forensic teams who examined the bodies reported signs of physical abuse, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Some of the bodies had missing limbs or teeth, while others appeared to have been burned, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday.
“Crimes that cannot be hidden. This is how the bodies of Gaza’s prisoners were returned—blindfolded, bound like animals, and bearing signs of severe torture and burning,” wrote Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the Health Ministry, on social media. “They did not die naturally. They were executed while restrained—a war crime demanding an urgent international investigation and accountability for the perpetrators.”
Images of the bodies corroborate much of what al-Bursh described, with experts pointing to clear signs of abuse. Sameh Hamad, part of a commission that received the bodies at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, noted that one of the bodies even had a rope around his neck.
Raed Mohammad Amer, from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, told Al Jazeera that his organization has found evidence that Israel executed dozens of Palestinians.
### Calls for Investigation
Israel has promised investigations in some cases, but many remain open. Naji Abbas, director of the prisoners and detainees department for Physicians for Human Rights Israel, said his organization was “not surprised” by the condition of the released bodies.
“We have recorded hundreds of instances of torture and deaths in the Israeli prison system—dozens of Palestinians who have been killed, beaten to death, or have died after being refused treatment for months,” Abbas said.
One autopsy his organization examined showed signs of violence on the body eight months after the person’s death. “These are documented cases of detainees’ bodies with clear signs of torture and brutal restraint before death, and yet it is not covered in every television and newspaper,” he added.
Al Jazeera reached out to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which coordinates the transfer of Palestinian and Israeli detainees, for comment. The ICRC declined to comment on the condition of the bodies but said its staff focuses on “the dignified transfer of remains of the deceased.” The Israeli military and prison service did not respond to requests for comment.
### Released Detainees Describe Torture and Abuse
Nearly 2,000 Palestinians from both Gaza and the occupied West Bank were released by Israel this week as part of the ceasefire deal. Many had been detained in large roundups, leaving families uncertain of the fate of their loved ones.
Those who were released shocked relatives with their appearance and the stories they told. Many were severely injured or weak and were taken straight to hospitals for medical treatment.
Mahmoud Abu Foul, one released detainee, said Israeli torture had led to the loss of his eyesight. Abu Foul recounted to Al Jazeera that a beating left him unconscious for hours, resulting in permanent damage.
Most detainees emerged emaciated or bearing visible bruises. Kamal Abu Shanab, another freed detainee, said his weight dropped dramatically from 127 to 68 kilograms. His niece, Farah, wept upon seeing him, saying he was unrecognizable.
Salem Eid, also released, said that due to severe beatings he cannot lie on his back and must sleep sitting up.
Abuse in Israeli prisons has been reported for years. In August, Israeli rights group B’Tselem published a report describing the Israeli prison system as a “network of torture camps” characterized by severe violence, sexual assault, humiliation, starvation, forced unhygienic conditions, sleep deprivation, restrictions on religious worship, confiscation of belongings, and denial of medical treatment.
Psychological torture is also prevalent. One man released this week revealed he was falsely told by Israeli soldiers that his family had died—only to find them alive later. Another had prepared a bracelet for his two-year-old daughter, only to learn that she, along with his wife and other children, had been killed by Israel.
### Targeting Palestinian Leader Marwan Barghouti
Approximately 9,000 Palestinian detainees remain in Israeli jails, including prominent Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, whom Israel refuses to release.
Barghouti was found guilty by an Israeli court in 2004 for involvement in attacks against Israelis and is serving several life sentences. He rejects the jurisdiction of the Israeli court system and promotes nonviolent resistance and a two-state solution. Polls regularly identify Barghouti as the most popular Palestinian leader, with comparisons often drawn between him and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela.
Barghouti’s son, Arab, told Al Jazeera that Israel has singled out his father for harsh treatment, including a beating by guards in mid-September that left him unconscious. Another released prisoner, Mohammad al-Ardah, said Israeli forces broke Barghouti’s ribs in three places.
Israel has denied mistreating Barghouti and other Palestinian prisoners but has not provided evidence to substantiate these claims.
### The Role of Itamar Ben-Gvir
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees Israel’s prison service, appeared in an August video shouting at and threatening Barghouti. According to Arab Barghouti, Ben-Gvir showed his father an electric chair and warned that it was his fate.
Ben-Gvir has openly taken pride in the treatment of Palestinian prisoners under his supervision and has defended soldiers accused of abusing detainees. He stated that “summer camps and patience for the terrorists are over.”
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This distressing situation has drawn calls for urgent international investigation into the alleged war crimes and inhumane treatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli authorities.
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