Israeli Army Confirms Authentic Image Showing Palestinian Detainee Abuse in Gaza

The Israeli army confirmed the authenticity of a widely circulated image showing a Palestinian detainee being abused in the Gaza Strip, with the detainee lying face down, blindfolded and bound with wire and an iron rod strapped to his back.

An Israeli army spokesperson, quoted by Israel's Army Radio, said: "The army confirms that the footage published on Palestinian networks over the past 24 hours, showing a man from Gaza handcuffed, tied to a bed, blindfolded, and with a rod tied to his back, is real footage that occurred in the Gaza Strip," while adding that Israel's Army Radio published the image without details on where or when it occurred.

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The Anadolu Ajansı report also said that about 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, where detainees face torture, starvation, and medical neglect that have resulted in the deaths of dozens of prisoners.

In a separate account, جريدة القدس said the Israeli occupying army acknowledged the authenticity of the leaked image and described the detainee as lying on his stomach, blindfolded, with his hands bound by a metal wire and an iron rod affixed to his back.

The same جريدة القدس report said the statements carried by Israeli Army Radio included a claim that the military leadership opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident to determine details and hold implicated soldiers accountable.

While Israeli authorities confirmed the image’s authenticity, an AFP fact-checking report published in في ميزان فرانس برس said the image was not of torturing a Palestinian detainee but of a prop used in haunted houses and Halloween celebrations.

في ميزان فرانس برس said the AFP fact-checking service traced the image to a screenshot dated June 2, 2026 from Facebook and described the caption as "A scene of the moment of melting a captive Muslim, save the prisoners from the occupation's prisons."

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The AFP report also said a Google search compared the circulated image to a TikTok screenshot with markings indicating identical elements, and it identified the prop as "a moving doll named Deep Fried from the company ScreamFitters, used in haunted houses and Halloween parties."

In contrast, جريدة القدس reported that the Israeli soldier Joseph Benamo first posted the image on his personal Instagram account before quickly deleting it and closing his account after it spread.

That same جريدة القدس account added that Breaking the Silence commented on the incident, saying the images represent "the official policy in place, not merely exceptional conduct," and it quoted the Hebrew phrase "Good morning" as attached to the post.

Beyond the image controversy, RTL Info reported that the Committee to Protect Journalists collected testimonies from around fifty Palestinian journalists detained between October 7, 2023 and January 2026, and said 58 of 59 released journalists reported acts they describe as torture and abuse during detention.

RTL Info said CPJ reported that "Fifty-five journalists interviewed said they faced intense hunger" and that sexual violence was also reportedly frequent, with testimonies describing acts of torture targeting the genitals and penetrations with objects.

In a separate report, وكاله شهاب الإخبارية quoted Riyad al-Ashqar, head of the Palestinian Center for Prisoners' Studies, saying the image did not surprise them and that it is "only a small part of what Gaza's prisoners are subjected to" in brutality and torture by occupation soldiers since arrest.

Al-Ashqar said the violations extend to newly established interrogation centers and claimed the occupation deliberately intensified torture against Gaza's prisoners as part of a continuing genocidal campaign since October 7.

The same وكاله شهاب الإخبارية report said the occupation continues to detain about 2,000 prisoners from the Gaza Strip and described detention camps and interrogation centers including Death Camp in Sde Teiman in the Negev, Ofer Prison, and Menashe.