Palestinians tell BBC they were sexually abused in Israeli prisons
BBC interviews with detainees add to decades-long allegations of torture and mistreatment in Israeli detention facilities; UN and rights groups have long sought accountability amid a volatile security backdrop.
Two Palestinian men have told the BBC they were sexually abused by prison guards while detained by Israeli authorities, deepening longstanding accusations of torture and ill treatment in Israeli detention facilities. The interviews come as indicators from international bodies and rights groups have highlighted what they call a broader pattern of abuse, particularly in cases involving Palestinians detained in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. Israel has repeatedly denied such claims, saying its detention system operates under the law and with inmate safety and rights in mind. The BBC report also intersects with recent international scrutiny, including a UN Committee against Torture statement last month that expressed deep concern about what it described as a de facto state policy of organized torture and ill treatment of Palestinian detainees.
Sami al-Saei, 46, who previously worked as a freelance journalist in Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, says he was detained by Israeli soldiers in January 2024 and held under administrative detention for 16 months before his release earlier this year. He provided The BBC with an account of sexual abuse while he was held at Megiddo prison in northern Israel. He says guards partially stripped him and raped him with a baton on or around March 13, 2024, during a period he describes as marked by multiple forms of violence.
"There were five or six of them," al-Saei told the BBC. "They were laughing and enjoying it. The guard asked me: 'Are you enjoying this? We want to play with you, and bring your wife, your sister, your mother, and friends here too.'" He said the assault lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, during which guards also squeezed his genitals and inflicted severe pain. He described the beatings as nearly daily, though he maintained he was only sexually assaulted on one occasion. Since his release, al-Saei has left journalism and now works in a furniture shop, saying speaking out carries the risk of social ostracism in parts of Palestinian society. The BBC asked the Israel Prison Service (IPS) for comment on al-Saei’s allegations. The IPS issued a statement saying it operates in full accordance with the law and prioritizes inmate safety, welfare, and rights, and that it was not aware of such incidents happening under IPS responsibility. It did not confirm whether an investigation had been launched or whether medical records existed.