Former Palestinian detainee speaks out about sexual abuse in Israeli jail

A former Palestinian detainee, Sami al-Saei, 47, has spoken publicly about alleged sexual abuse he suffered while held in an Israeli jail.

Al-Saei said the abuse occurred shortly after his detention in February 2024. He was held without charge or trial until June 2025. About 40 days after his release, he posted a video on TikTok recounting his experience.

“I could not stay silent. I have a moral responsibility to say what happened to me and other prisoners,” he said.

According to al-Saei, he was assaulted by prison guards while blindfolded and restrained, and later denied medical treatment. He said he was transferred to an overcrowded cell and left to cope with his injuries on his own.

Claims by the former Palestinian detainee have emerged as rights groups report a wider pattern of abuse in Israeli detention facilities. Israel-based human rights organisation B’Tselem said this week that it had documented sexual violence and other forms of mistreatment of Palestinians held in civilian and military prisons.

The abuses described in the report range from threats and humiliation to sexual assault, according to B’Tselem. The group said the findings were based on testimonies from former detainees, lawyers and medical professionals.

A spokesperson for the Israeli prison service rejected the allegations. The service “categorically rejects the false allegations presented in the [B’Tselem] report” and said it was “not aware of the claims described” by al-Saei and others.
“All inmates are held in lawful custody, with due regard for their rights, including access to medical care as required and the provision of living conditions in accordance with the law,” the spokesperson said.

B’Tselem also cited the case of another former Palestinian detainee, Tamer Qarmut, who was arrested during an Israeli military raid on Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza in November 2023. Qarmut told the group he was beaten and sexually assaulted while in custody. He was later released without charge under a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The report said conditions in detention centres worsened after October 2023, with prisoners held in isolation, denied family contact and access to independent monitors. The International Committee of the Red Cross has not visited detainees since that period.

Israeli military prosecutors charged several soldiers in 2024 over a separate rape case at the Sde Teiman military detention centre, the only prosecution linked to sexual violence in detention since October 2023. One soldier has been convicted of abuse.

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B’Tselem executive director Yuli Novak said the treatment of detainees should be seen in the context of broader dehumanisation.
“The Israeli regime has turned its prisons into a network of torture camps for Palestinians,” she said.

Israel last published figures showing that about 9,000 Palestinians were being held in detention by January, many without charge or trial. Rights groups say harsh living conditions and lack of medical care have contributed to dozens of deaths in custody.

Al-Saei said speaking out has come at a personal cost, including social isolation and difficulty finding work, but said he does not regret his decision.

“Even if the others didn’t speak about it, it was obvious they also had this experience,” the former Palestinian detainee said.

(The Guardian UK)