Tel Aviv: The torture and abuse at the notorious Sde Teiman prison facility, under the Israeli army's supervision, is a systematic policy under the knowledge of commanders, a reserve soldier told an Israeli newspaper Friday. Revealing the acts and abuses against Palestinian detainees, the soldier told the Haaretz newspaper that most of those tortured are civilians, not even from the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas. He added that many Palestinians were released from the prison "in body bags" as a result of torture, medical negligence, and starvation.

According to Anadolu Agency, the soldier recounted witnessing detainees urinate and defecate on themselves due to being denied access to toilets, a memory marked by the smell. He emphasized that many detainees were innocent civilians from Gaza, released after severe abuse. The soldier recounted seeing surgeries performed on Palestinians without anesthesia, noting the high mortality rate and expressing surprise that any detainees survived the ordeal.

He further highlighted that the torture and abuse at Sde Teiman are not isolated incidents but a deliberate policy executed with the cooperation of the Israeli media. The Israeli army has recently released dozens of Palestinians from Gaza without prior coordination with Palestine. Estimates suggest thousands of Gazans are held by Israel, although exact figures are unavailable.

The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, disrupting a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement from January. Since October 2023, nearly 52,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza due to the Israeli onslaught. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.