Ibrahim Salem’s Harrowing Ordeal in Detention
Jabalya Refugee Camp, Gaza Strip— Ibrahim Salem, a 34-year-old Palestinian barber, recounted his tormenting experience during eight months of captivity in Israel’s notorious Sde Teiman prison. “They told me to strip,” he said, describing the moment he realized his ordeal was beginning. “That’s when I knew I was beginning my journey to hell.”
On December 8, an Israeli airstrike devastated Salem’s home in the Jabalya refugee camp, killing eight relatives and injuring his wife and two of his three children. Four days later, while at Kamal Adwan Hospital with his injured children, Israeli troops arrested him during a raid. “I was confused. Why was I arrested? I have nothing to do with resistance groups,” Salem told CNN, reflecting on the bewildering circumstances of his arrest.
Inhumane treatment and isolation
Salem and other Palestinians from the hospital were handcuffed, blindfolded, and transported on trucks “like animals.” For eight long months, there was no word from him. Salem alleges that during interrogations, he faced severe physical abuse, including beatings, verbal assaults, and having hot water poured on him. The most harrowing part, he said, was the sexual abuse he endured. “They would bring the metal detector and run it all over our bodies, then they would hover it over private parts and hit me there,” he said.
In May, CNN published an investigation into Sde Teiman prison, revealing extreme conditions for detainees. A photograph of a blindfolded prisoner standing behind a barbed fence was identified by Salem’s twin brother as Salem. Salem confirmed it was him in the picture, stating that detainees were often subjected to nightmarish conditions. “We would hear screams. And then the sound of a bullet, followed by silence,” he said.
Salem was eventually transferred to Ktzi’ot Prison and released without charge on August 1. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed Salem was detained on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities but did not provide detailed accounts of his detention conditions. The IDF stated that misconduct during detention is “contrary to the law and IDF orders.”
During interrogations, Salem was shown pictures of what he was led to believe were exhumed bodies of his family members. The interrogator taunted him, making him count six bodies in the image. “On what grounds do you take away bodies and desecrate them?” Salem recalled asking.
Systematic policies of abuse
Salem’s allegations align with reports from human rights groups documenting abuses in Israeli prisons. Saja Mishreqi, a lawyer at the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), highlighted the systematic policies of abuse at Sde Teiman and other facilities. A report by B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, documented “abuse and inhuman treatment of Palestinians” held in Israeli custody since October 7.
Since his release, Salem has been living in a displacement camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, separated from his wife and children. He described the ongoing humiliation and trauma from his time in detention. “You’re exposing your body to male and female soldiers who harass you and touch you with objects on your sensitive parts,” he said.
Calls for reform
Salem’s story echoes the calls for reforms in Israeli prison systems. Despite the reduced number of detainees at Sde Teiman, human rights advocates emphasize that the systematic policies of abuse need to be addressed across all facilities. “Our problem is not just with Sde Teiman but with the systematic policies taking place there,” said Mishreqi.
As Salem continues his life in displacement, separated from his loved ones, the memories of abuse remain a constant reminder of his harrowing journey through Israeli detention.