“Dozens Entered Alive and Left in Body Bags”: Israeli Soldier Exposes Death and Torture at Sde Teiman Camp

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- An Israeli reserve soldier has exposed shocking abuses at the Sde Teiman detention camp in the Negev desert, describing it as a “sadistic torture site” where dozens of Palestinian detainees from Gaza died under brutal conditions.

The soldier described Sde Teiman — located 30 kilometers from occupied Bir Al-Sabi’ — as a place where “people enter alive and leave in body bags.” He said the death of detainees was no longer surprising. “The real surprise,” he added, “is if someone survives.”

He stated that Israeli authorities oversee systematic abuse. According to his account, Palestinian detainees suffered starvation, untreated war wounds, and denial of basic hygiene needs. “Some urinated and defecated on themselves because they weren’t allowed to use the bathroom,” he said.

The soldier confirmed that many detainees were civilians, not fighters. “They were arrested, tortured, and later released after proving innocent.”

The commander of the facility admitted that top Israeli officials knew about the abuses. “They say Sde Teiman is being called a cemetery,” the commander reportedly said, urging soldiers to reduce the intensity of daily torture.

Testimonies from released Palestinian detainees, Israeli doctors, and guards back these claims. They detail widespread violations, including beatings, medical neglect, and torture — sometimes to death.

At least 36 Palestinian detainees have been killed under torture in Sde Teiman since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Despite this, Israel’s Supreme Court rejected a petition to close the camp in September, saying the government was “obligated to respect the law” inside the facility.

The soldier told Haaretz that he watched a detainee die in front of him. “We thought he was just sitting there with a blindfold. Then we realized he was dead.”

He also described surgeries without anesthesia and conditions so filthy that he still remembers the stench.

“Everyone who was there knows what happened,” the soldier said. “Torture, starvation, and inhumane treatment were the norm.”