ALBAWABA - Israel’s detention camps are widely believed to be torture camps by Palestinians and activists alike, one recent photo of a detained Palestinian confirmed what we all know - Palestinians are being tortured in Israeli detainment.
The disturbing image depicts a Palestinian man stripped to his underwear, blindfolded and wrapped around an iron rod, unable to move or see.
The image corroborates extensive reports of torture of Palestinians in Israeli detention camps, something which Israel has long denied - all which constitutes a war crime according to human rights groups.
The image which was confirmed by the IDF to be authentic, posted with the caption "Good morning" in Hebrew. (Circulating on social media)
The account which shared the image with the caption “Good morning” has been deleted, it picked up traction online after it was reshared by Palestinian rights activist Tamer.
Oneg Ben Dror from the prisoner and detainees department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) said in a statement: “Both abusive treatment of detainees and the public sharing of humiliating or degrading images of them can constitute war crimes,”
The photo “confirms what thousands of testimonies from Palestinian detainees have exposed, and what we and other organisations have been reporting for nearly three years now,” she added. “Israeli detention facilities are torture camps for Palestinians.”
The IDF confirmed that the photo was in fact genuine, adding that “The incident does not align with IDF values and regulations,” and that an inquiry into the photo was underway.
As the IDF is infamous for its forced disappearances, barely releasing any details on people they detain, two mothers in Gaza came forward claiming that the man in the photo was their son.
One mother said it was her son Osama, “I know the details of his body,” she told Reuters. “He has swelling in his foot and scars on his leg – the same swelling on his left leg I saw in the picture.”
The other mother said “It’s him, his hair and chin. He is my son. A mother’s heart can recognise her son. I hugged the mobile phone and started crying,” she said. “He is my son, my soul, my life.”
Reflecting on the horrible psychological torture that detainee’s families go through as the ones detained are physically tortured.
After all this, still the IDF has declined to comment on the detainee’s name or where he’s being kept - keeping Palestinian families in complete darkness.
“This is not the first time Israeli soldiers have published humiliating photos of Palestinian detainees while depriving families of information or access to them. It has become a grotesque and unlawful way for families to get information about their loved ones.” said Sari Bashi, the executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel.
