West Asia

Two leading human rights organizations say Israeli prison guards have fired rubber bullets at Palestinian inmates, resulting in one needing a testicle to be surgically removed and another requiring surgery for a broken shin, as Palestinian detainees are subjected to arbitrary abuse amounting to a systematic policy of torture. The Israeli Hebrew-language Haaretz daily newspaper reported on Wednesday that Physicians for Human Rights Israel and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel have recorded 21 incidents of gunfire within five Israeli prisons since October 2023.

Incidents primarily took place in late 2025 and the first half of 2026, frequently occurring at close range and without any prior disturbances, as reported by witnesses. Advocacy groups indicated that the projectiles used seemed to be made of rubber or plastic. The most alarming incident involved a prisoner who was shot in the testicle at Ketziot Prison in the southern side of the Israeli-occupied territories during June. Medical records from Soroka Hospital showed that the organ was entirely destroyed, necessitating its surgical removal.

In statements made to his attorney, the prisoner recounted that guards had kicked him in the testicles during a strip search a week prior, resulting in significant pain. He noted that he was only permitted to see a doctor two days later. A week after the assault, members of the Israeli Prison Service’s Masada unit shot rubber bullets into his cell, hitting him in the previously injured testicle and behind his right knee, according to his testimony.

He described being dragged approximately 50 meters while he was bleeding profusely before finally receiving medical care and being taken to a hospital. In a separate incident reported in July, a prisoner at Ketziot had surgery on a broken left shin after being hit by a rubber bullet, as noted in the prison's medical records. A former inmate recounted to Haaretz that he was shot from a short distance in April and was denied proper medical treatment for 15 days, only receiving surgery after his release.

The rights organizations said shootings occurred inside cells, in prison yards, and even in locations where inmates were waiting to see their lawyers. In August, these groups called on Israeli authorities to stop using such ammunition against prisoners, especially at close range and in confined areas, cautioning that it could lead to life-threatening injuries. Thousands of Palestinians are reportedly incarcerated in Israeli prisons. Human rights groups argue that Israel infringes upon the rights and freedoms of prisoners as outlined in the Geneva Convention.

Palestinian prisoners are kept in Israeli facilities under appalling conditions, lacking adequate hygiene. These inmates also face systematic torture, harassment, and oppression. Approximately 60 percent of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody suffer from chronic illnesses, with some dying while in detention or shortly after release due to the seriousness of their health issues, according to the Palestine Detainees Studies Center.