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The latest revelations of torture and sexual assault committed by Israeli soldiers against a Palestinian detainee at the infamous Sde Teiman prison have once again torn the veil off a system that thrives on brutality and impunity. The disturbing fact is not only that such acts occurred but that the perpetrators, appearing at a press conference in masks, publicly defended their actions and demanded gratitude for their “service.” Their confidence reflects something far deeper and more alarming — a culture of institutionalized violence that is tolerated, even celebrated, within Israel’s military and political establishment.
This incident, coupled with international media reports exposing the existence of an underground prison known as Rakefet, where Palestinians are held in inhumane conditions without sunlight, communication or legal rights, lays bare the scale of Israel’s defiance of international law. These are not isolated cases of misconduct by rogue soldiers, they are the symptoms of a systemic policy that normalizes abuse and dehumanization as tools of control.
Under the Geneva Conventions, particularly the Fourth Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, torture, arbitrary detention and collective punishment are categorically prohibited. But Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees has consistently violated these principles. The reopening of Rakefet prison — closed decades ago for its “inhumane conditions” — by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after the events of Oct. 7, 2023, is a stark example. His declaration that “this is the natural place for terrorists, underground” reveals a mentality rooted in vengeance, not justice.
Human rights organizations, including the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, have documented recurring patterns of abuse: beatings, sensory deprivation and denial of basic needs. Among the detainees are civilians, such as a nurse arrested in his medical uniform and an 18-year-old food vendor. None have been charged or brought before a court. Their imprisonment reflects not an effort to ensure security but to collectively punish and demoralize an entire population. This systematic criminalization of ordinary Palestinians constitutes a gross violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits punishing individuals for acts they did not commit.

Israel’s actions represent a direct challenge to the post-Second World War human rights architecture.

Hani Hazaimeh

Equally telling is Israel’s response to those who attempt to expose these abuses. Former military prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who authorized the release of the torture video that sparked international outrage, was detained and forced to resign. Her arrest is symbolic of a state apparatus more concerned with concealing its crimes than confronting them. When truth-tellers are criminalized and perpetrators shielded, justice becomes not just elusive — it becomes irrelevant.
At the heart of these developments lies a disturbing erosion of moral and legal accountability. With more than 9,250 Palestinians currently detained — among them 49 women and 350 children — Israel’s prison system has become a tool of psychological warfare. The widespread use of administrative detention, allowing imprisonment without charge or trial based on undisclosed evidence, epitomizes the breakdown of due process and the rule of law.
The silence of the international community compounds the tragedy. Global powers that routinely invoke human rights as a cornerstone of their foreign policy have largely remained indifferent, issuing muted statements at best. This selective application of international law undermines its very foundation. When war crimes committed by one state are excused or ignored due to political alliances, the credibility of the entire international legal order collapses.
Israel’s actions are not merely violations of the Geneva Conventions — they represent a direct challenge to the post-Second World War human rights architecture. The Nuremberg principles, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention Against Torture were all created to ensure that states could never again commit atrocities under the guise of national security. Yet, Israel continues to do precisely that, with impunity and international protection.
The question now is not whether Israel is violating international law — it unquestionably is — but whether the world still has the will to enforce it. The International Criminal Court and the UN Human Rights Council cannot continue to issue statements without consequence. Accountability must no longer be a rhetorical demand but a legal imperative.
Justice, in this context, is not merely about punishing the perpetrators. It is about restoring the humanity stripped from thousands of Palestinian men, women and children languishing in Israeli prisons. It is about reaffirming that international law applies universally, not selectively. And it is about acknowledging that the silence of the world is itself a form of complicity.
The torture chambers of Sde Teiman and the darkness of Rakefet prison are not just stains on Israel’s conscience — they are an indictment of a global order that allows such crimes to persist without consequence. If the international community continues to turn away, it will not only fail the Palestinians, it will fail the very ideals that define our collective humanity.

• Hani Hazaimeh is a senior editor based in Amman. X: @hanihazaimeh