Israeli physicians call for prison ‘torture facility’ to be shut down

Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) stated that the arrest of Israeli soldiers for abusing Palestinian prisoners at the Sde Teiman detention facility comes after months of PHRI raising concerns.

The advocacy group said this action demonstrates that Israel’s military cannot ignore crimes committed by soldiers against Palestinians in their custody, which include severe violence and sexual abuse.

On Monday, in a rare move of holding Israeli soldiers accountable for possible crimes, the Israeli military announced the detention of nine soldiers for questioning at the Sde Teiman facility, established to hold Palestinians taken from Gaza since the beginning of Israel’s war on the territory.

"Mounting testimonies indicate these incidents are not isolated. They suggest systematic abuse and violence, with a blind eye turned to violations," PHRI stated on social media.

"The Sde Teiman torture facility must be shut down immediately, abuse across all prisons must end, and those responsible must be prosecuted," the group added.