Under pressure from Israel’s Supreme Court to address allegations of mistreatment at its detention facilities, the Israeli military has transferred hundreds of Palestinian detainees from a notorious desert facility to newly established camps in the West Bank.
However, reports from Israeli human rights organizations suggest that the abuse of detainees has continued at these new locations, prompting further legal action.
The military’s shifting of detainees appears to have done little to improve their conditions, with accusations of beatings, shackling and inadequate medical care still rampant.
The controversy centers around Ofer Camp, a large facility near the West Bank, and Anatot Camp, a smaller site on a military base within a Jewish settlement.
These camps were set up to address allegations of abuse at the Sde Teiman facility, a detention center in the Negev Desert that had garnered international criticism for brutalizing Palestinian detainees, including those seized from Gaza after the October 2023 Hamas incursion on Israel.
While the military claimed that the transfers would alleviate overcrowding and mistreatment at Sde Teiman, human rights groups maintain that the move has done little to stop the cycle of abuse.
Israeli rights groups, such as Hamoked and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), have gathered testimonies from dozens of former detainees, alleging that conditions in Ofer and Anatot are no better than those at Sde Teiman.
Detainees have described similar experiences of being subjected to physical violence, prolonged shackling, overcrowded cells, and substandard food and healthcare.
Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked, which is petitioning Israel’s government on behalf of detainees, said that the shift from Sde Teiman to the new camps reflects a larger failure to meet international standards for humane detention.
“What we’ve seen is the erosion of the basic standards for humane detention,” she stated.
One prominent example is the case of Khaled Alserr, a 32-year-old surgeon from Gaza who was detained at Ofer Camp.
Alserr’s experience underscores the harsh treatment that detainees face.
He was arrested in a raid on Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in March 2023, during which he witnessed the brutal treatment of medical staff and patients.
He spent six months at Ofer without charge, during which time he was subjected to regular beatings and prolonged periods of shackling.
Alserr recalled being punished for the smallest infractions, such as making eye contact with soldiers, asking for medicine, or even looking up at the sky.
His accounts align with testimonies from other detainees, many of whom have shared strikingly similar experiences of mistreatment.
Alserr’s ordeal in Ofer is just one example of the widespread abuse documented at these camps.
Detainees have reported being forced to remain in handcuffs for months, even while eating or sleeping, and only being allowed to shower once a week.
The crowded conditions in the camps often lead to unsanitary living situations, including rampant scabies and lice infestations.
One former detainee described the space where they were held as cramped, with 21 people sharing a 40-square-meter cell and sleeping on makeshift mattresses that were intentionally punctured so they couldn’t be inflated.
The lack of adequate health care has also been a major concern. Alserr, for instance, was denied treatment for a chronic ulcer and ultimately suffered a rupture due to the delayed care.
When he was eventually transported to a hospital, soldiers beat him during the journey and kept a bag tied over his head, even while he was being treated.
The Israeli military, however, continues to deny allegations of systematic abuse, insisting that it complies with international law and that detainees are afforded proper medical care.
In response to claims of mistreatment at Ofer and Anatot, the military stated that “prolonged restraint during detention is only used in exceptional cases,” taking into account the condition of each detainee.
The military also pointed to improvements in food and care at the camps, including the addition of new food items such as potatoes and falafel, though human rights advocates argue that these changes fall far short of what is needed to ensure humane treatment.
Diet has also been a significant issue.
Detainees have consistently reported receiving insufficient food, with meals often consisting of just a few slices of white bread and a small portion of vegetables.
This amounts to roughly 1,000 calories a day, about half of what is required for an adult’s daily nutritional needs. Israeli pediatric dietician Lihi Joffe, who reviewed detainee testimonies, condemned the diet as “not humane” and noted that while the food may have improved slightly, it still falls short of international standards for detainee welfare.
The lack of legal access for detainees is another area of concern.
Under Israeli wartime law, Palestinians from Gaza can be held for up to 45 days without access to the outside world, though many are detained for much longer periods.
While Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered the military to respond to allegations of abuse at Ofer, detainees continue to be denied timely access to lawyers and family members.
Several detainees have reported being subjected to prolonged periods of solitary confinement or being dragged into cells violently when meeting with their lawyers.
Some have even described being forced to kneel in the sun for hours as punishment.
The conditions in Ofer and Anatot are just a part of a larger pattern of abuse that human rights organizations have highlighted in their ongoing efforts to hold Israel accountable for its treatment of Palestinian detainees.
Since the start of the war, Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, many without charge or trial, fueling concerns over their treatment.
Despite the military’s reassurances, the testimonies from detainees continue to paint a troubling picture of abuse and neglect, prompting further calls for change.
As the conflict in Gaza rages on and the number of detainees rises, Israel’s military faces mounting pressure to ensure that its detention practices comply with international standards and human rights laws.
However, for many Palestinians detained in these facilities, the damage may already be done.
For Alserr and others like him, the emotional and psychological scars of their time in detention may last long after they are released. "I’m starting to forget ... to feel myself again as a human being,” Alserr said, reflecting on the painful journey of recovery after his ordeal.
