Ceasefire Hopes Rise as Hamas Signals Willingness to Abide by Agreement
GAZA/JERUSALEM – Amid ongoing reports of alleged abuses at the Sde Teiman detention camp, Hamas has affirmed its “willingness” to respect the terms of a ceasefire agreement, according to sources close to the negotiations.This advancement comes as international scrutiny intensifies over allegations of torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees.
reports from June 2024 detail accusations against the Israeli army regarding conditions at Sde Teiman, a detention camp for Gazans supervised by the military. An Israeli caregiver with direct knowledge of the camp told Monde that hundreds of detainees were forced to kneel for hours while shackled and blindfolded.
The Israeli army has stated it is conducting criminal investigations into the deaths of 48 Gazans, including 36 at Sde Teiman, as reported by Haaretz. This investigation, according to the Guardian, is ongoing.A 2024 UNRWA investigation, supported by testimony in the New York Times, also reported allegations of rapes occurring at Sde Teiman.
Doctors from Khan Younès, interviewed by the Guardian, examined the bodies of repatriated Palestinians and stated the evidence “clearly show that Israel has committed murder, summary executions and systematic torture against many Palestinians.” They reported “clear signs of direct fire at close range and bodies crushed under the tracks of Israeli tanks.”
Naji Abbas, director of the prisoners and detainees department of Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHR), described the findings as “horrific, but sadly not surprising,” and stated they corroborate PHR’s previous revelations regarding conditions in Israeli prisons, “particularly at the Sde Teiman camp, where Palestinians were systematically tortured and killed by soldiers and prison guards.” However, it remains unconfirmed whether the alleged torture occurred specifically at Sde Teiman or during detainees’ transfer.
In response to the torture accusations, the Israeli army told the Guardian it had requested the Israeli prison service to open an investigation, but declined to comment on whether the Palestinian bodies originated from Sde Teiman.
