The Triumph of Inhumanity: Video of Gang Rape of Palestinian Male Prisoner by Israeli Soldiers Released

Exposing the Horrors at Sde Teiman: Shown in video of the gang rape of a Palestinian male prisoner by IDF

As the old adage goes, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Tragically, these words have found new resonance in the sordid revelations emerging from Israel’s Sde Teiman detention facility and the silence of British media.

Footage of IDF soldiers allegedly gang raping a Palestinian prisoner at the Sde Teiman detention facility was broadcast on N12 on Tuesday.

Late last month, nine Israeli soldiers were arrested for the alleged rape of a Palestinian detained in Sde Teiman, a facility in southern Israel’s Negev desert.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October, many Palestinians detained by Israeli forces have said they were sexually abused by troops at Sde Teiman.

However, no one had been arrested for the abuse until 29 July, when military police raided the facility, clashed with the soldiers and took them into custody.

For too long, the horrific abuses perpetrated against Palestinian detainees by the Israeli military have been shrouded in silence. But now, with the release of a disturbing video depicting the gang rape of a prisoner, the world can no longer avert its gaze from the depths of this depravity.

The details are truly chilling. Palestinian prisoners, their hands and eyes bound, left at the mercy of a group of reserve soldiers – members of the notorious Force 100 unit tasked with guarding the facility. What transpired behind the shielded riot gear can only be described as an unspeakable violation of human dignity.

Israeli media publishes video of soldiers allegedly raping Palestinian detainee

Footage shows soldiers hiding actions behind riot shields, and is believed to be the incident that led to their arrest

As if the initial assault were not heinous enough, the subsequent cover-up attempts by the soldiers, their lies laid bare by polygraph tests, demonstrate a callous disregard for justice and accountability. This is not the action of a few “bad apples,” but a systemic failure of morality and the rule of law.

The ruptured bowels, severe anal injuries, lung damage and broken ribs suffered by the victim paint a harrowing picture of the true cost of this depravity. Yet, we must not forget that this is but one case among the thousands of Palestinian detainees who have endured such torture and abuse at the hands of their captors.

For those who may think that the reported rape of a detainee is some form of “revenge” for the attacks of October 7th, or that the ongoing violence in Gaza is justified retribution, let us be unequivocal: Revenge does not come in the form of perverse evils, but through the impartial and measured application of justice.

The rape of a detainee, no matter their alleged crimes, is an abhorrent violation of human rights that cannot be excused or rationalised under any circumstances. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of morality and human dignity, treating prisoners in the same way we would hope our own citizens and soldiers are treated if captured. To do otherwise is to risk emulating the very actions we so vehemently condemn.

Retributive violence, whether in the form of sexual assault or military strikes, is a corrosive and self-perpetuating cycle that erodes the moral high ground and poisons the well of justice. As a society, we must rise above the base impulses of vengeance and instead uphold the principles of due process, proportionality and the inviolability of human rights.

Henri-Frédéric Amiel’s words ring true: “Only evil grows of itself, while for goodness we want effort and courage.” For too long, the good people of Israel and the international community have remained silent in the face of these horrors. The time has come to muster that courage, to shine a light into the darkest corners of Sde Teiman and demand true accountability.

The footage released by Channel 12, taken from evidence used in the investigation, shows detained Palestinians lying on the floor with their hands and eyes covered.

A group of reserve soldiers are then seen taking one of the detainees aside, then trying to hide their subsequent actions with riot shields.

He was taken to a field hospital at Sde Teiman. According to Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), the alleged victim – a man in his thirties – was brought to one of Israel’s public hospitals in life-threatening condition. He had injuries to his upper body and his rectum.

About 4,000 Palestinians have been detained from Gaza in Israel since October. Most are detained and interrogated in the enclave, but many are brought to Sde Teiman, even if they are a non-combatant.

Torture, rape and murder have all been reported as rife at the facility, one of several facilities where Palestinians have been mistreated for decades.

Israel is using its dubious Unlawful Combatants Law to arbitrarily detain Palestinians from the Gaza Strip—including women and children—indefinitely without charge and trial, according to an Amnesty International report.

On 15 July, Israel’s High Court issued a conditional order seeking to close Sde Teiman in response to the reports of abuse there.

The court’s order seeks an explanation as to “why the Sde Teiman detention facility is not operated in accordance with the conditions set forth in the law governing internment of unlawful combatants”.

The US State Department called allegations of sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees by Israeli soldiers “horrific” and said Israel must investigate “swiftly” and “fully,” according to a State Department spokesperson.

“There ought to be zero tolerance of any sexual abuse, rape, of any detainees, period,” said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller at a press briefing.

With respect to comments made by people in the Israeli government or protesters to interfere in the military justice system, Miller said the rule of law needs to be upheld.

The whistleblowers said that Palestinian detainees at the base were constantly blindfolded and held under extreme physical restraint. Doctors sometimes amputated prisoners’ limbs due to injuries sustained from continuous handcuffing, one whistleblower said. The account tallied with details of a letter authored by a doctor working at Sde Teiman published by Ha’aretz in April.

Several Israeli and Palestinian rights groups, as well as local and international media outlets, also detailed alleged torture and mistreatment at the camp.

The High Court’s conditional order to close the facility is a start, but it is merely a drop in the ocean of reform needed to end the systemic mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners. Lip service and half-measures will no longer suffice. We must demand a comprehensive investigation, the prosecution of those responsible, and the implementation of robust safeguards to prevent such atrocities from ever occurring again.

In the face of such evil, we cannot afford to be mere bystanders. The triumph of inhumanity can only be stopped through the collective courage and unwavering commitment of those who refuse to accept anything less than justice and the restoration of human dignity. Let the cries of the victims at Sde Teiman serve as a clarion call to action, lest the silence of the good embolden the forces of darkness even further.