Haaretz reveals humiliation of Palestinians in Megiddo prison; IPS says “routine drill”

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Shocking footage and images published by Israeli Haaretz reveal that Israeli Prison Service (IPS) guards humiliated dozens of Palestinian detainees in the security wing of Megiddo Prison on Friday morning, despite no reported incidents at the facility. The detainees were handcuffed, lying face-down, with some shirtless, while a guard dog barked aggressively over them. The IPS later claimed the event was part of a “routine drill.”

The Israeli Prison Service claimed that such exercises are conducted to “ensure the safety of both prison staff and the public”. “In this operation, combined with intelligence, the ‘Nachshon’ unit—IPS’s intervention force—raided cells of security detainees, carried out searches, and confiscated numerous weapons and prohibited materials,” according to an official IPS statement. However, the prison authorities did not provide any evidence of the alleged weapons allegedly seized during the operation.

Detainees and prisoners in Megiddo Prison have reported multiple incidents of severe abuse and torture by guards, including beatings, punches, kicks to the groin, and other forms of humiliation. According to testimonies, since the start of the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza, Palestinian detainees held in the security wings have been subjected to violence and humiliation. Prison guards have forced them to sing songs, often while shackled.

One detainee testified in December, stating, “They take us to a blind spot where there are no cameras and give a ‘welcome beating’ to new prisoners.” Detainees have also reported being forced to wear the same clothes for weeks, only receiving fresh clothes when a fellow inmate is released and passes on their garments, including underwear.

A senior IPS official confirmed in an interview with Haaretz that the organization is aware of the severe violence directed toward Palestinian detainees and prisoners in Megiddo Prison.

It is worth noting that Israeli media is subject to strict military censorship, which determines what content is allowed to be published and what is prohibited, including leaks that are shared with the media.

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