Palestinian detainee relays how torture in Israeli prison made him blind

Mahmoud Abu Foul heard his mother’s dependable aft 8 months successful Israeli detention, but could not spot her face.

A 28-year-old from bluish Gaza, Abu Foul was arrested from Kamal Adwan Hospital successful Beit Lahiya successful precocious December and imprisoned successful Israeli detention facilities, wherever helium says guards tortured and bushed him truthful severely that helium mislaid his sight.

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He was released this week arsenic portion of a United States-brokered ceasefire woody that has seen astir 2,000 Palestinian detainees fto retired from Israeli jails, galore bearing visible signs of abuse.

Abu Foul, who had already mislaid his limb successful a 2015 Israeli bombing, told Al Jazeera helium endured relentless torture during his imprisonment. At Sde Teiman prison, a installation different detainees picture arsenic “the situation that breaks men”, Abu Foul endured repeated beatings and torture.

One day, guards struck him connected the caput with specified unit that helium fell unconscious. When helium regained consciousness, helium discovered helium had mislaid his sight, helium said.

“I kept asking for aesculapian treatment, but they lone gave maine 1 benignant of oculus drops, which did nothing,” helium said. “My eyes kept tearing constantly, with discharge and pain, but nary 1 cared.”

He tried a hunger onslaught to request attraction but said situation authorities did not respond to his demands.

When Abu Foul was yet released and transferred to Nasser Hospital, helium waited anxiously for his family. He had heard bluish Gaza was devastated and feared the worst. Then his parent arrived.

“When I heard her voice, I hugged her tightly,” helium said. “I couldn’t spot her, but conscionable proceeding her was worthy the full world.”

Abu Foul present lives successful a structure adjacent ruins, inactive without attraction for his eyes, and is seeking assistance to question overseas for aesculapian care.

His relationship aligns with a increasing assemblage of grounds documenting systematic maltreatment successful Israeli prisons. Many of the Palestinians released this week emerged emaciated oregon with disposable injuries. One captive had mislaid nearly fractional his assemblage weight during detention.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights documented testimonies from 100 erstwhile detainees held betwixt October 2023 and 2024, uncovering that torture was systematic crossed each Israeli situation facilities, not conscionable notorious sites similar Sde Teiman.

All were held incommunicado without entree to judges, lawyers oregon household members.

Israel has returned astatine slightest 100 bodies of Palestinians who died successful detention. Medical sources told Al Jazeera they recovered grounds of maltreatment connected immoderate of the corpses, and immoderate indicated imaginable executions.

“They did not dice naturally, they were executed portion restrained,” said Dr Munir al-Bursh, director-general of Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The United Nations estimates that astatine slightest 75 Palestinian detainees person died successful Israeli prisons since October 2023.

Israeli rights radical B’Tselem described the situation strategy past twelvemonth arsenic a “network of torture camps” wherever detainees look systematic carnal abuse, are denied nutrient and aesculapian care, and endure intersexual violence.

Despite hundreds of reported maltreatment cases since October 2023, Israeli authorities person brought indictments successful lone 2 incidents, with nary situation work unit charged, according to the Public Committee Against Torture successful Israel (PCATI), an Israeli rights radical documenting torture.

Dr Ruchama Marton, laminitis of Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, says her decades-long run exposed the usage of torture successful Israel but has failed to halt it. “Maybe radical didn’t contradict it immoderate more, but successful signifier it became normalized,” she told Haaretz.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the situation service, has defended the harsh attraction of Palestinian prisoners and said “summer camps and patience for the terrorists are over”.

Ben-Gvir has besides been filmed taunting high-profile Palestinian governmental person and detainee Marwan Barghouti.

Earlier this week, Barghouti’s lad said helium fears for his father’s beingness successful Israeli situation amid reports from witnesses that helium was beaten by guards past month.

In an interview with Al Jazeera connected Thursday, Arab Barghouti accused Israel of targeting his begetter due to the fact that helium is simply a unifying fig among Palestinians.

The household told media outlets this week that they had received testimonies from Palestinian detainees released arsenic portion of the Gaza ceasefire deal that Barghouti was beaten by guards successful mid-September arsenic helium was being transferred betwixt 2 Israeli prisons.

About 9,000 Palestinian prisoners stay successful Israeli jails, galore without proceedings oregon immoderate due ineligible process. Israel has denied allegations of systematic maltreatment but has not provided grounds to antagonistic the claims.

The Israeli subject and situation work did not respond to requests for comment.