‎
Harare, (New Ziana)-The Sde Teiman detention camp in Israel’s Negev desert has once again come under fierce international scrutiny, this time following allegations of gang-rape and sexual assault of Palestinian detainees committed by Israeli soldiers, and a sharp political reaction from the Israeli government.

‎In a statement the Palestinian embassador to Zimbabwe Dr Tammar Almassri described himself as “appalled and outraged” by the leaked video from former military prosecutor Yifat Tomer‑Yerushalmi that purportedly shows Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting Palestinian prisoners at Sde Teiman.

‎The leak, said the ambassador , exposes the depth of abuse that Palestinians have long alleged in Israeli military detention facilities.

‎”The state of Palestine is appalled and outraged by the recent revelations of Israeli soldiers’ gang-raping Palestinian prisoners at the notorious Sde Teiman torture site, as exposed by a leaked video from former military prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi.

‎”The fact that Fascist Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has chosen to shield these perpetrators and condemn the leak as “betrayal and propaganda” is an indication of the fascist and racist ideology that pervades the highest echelons of the Israeli government,” he said.

‎Human rights groups, said Almassri have documented widespread and systematic abuse at Sde Teiman with detainees saying they have been blindfolded, hand-cuffed for extended periods, forced into stress positions, denied proper medical care and subject to humiliating treatment.

‎A key report by the Amnesty International states that detainees in Sde Teiman “said they were blindfolded and handcuffed for the entire time they were held there,” and that “sexual torture ranging from forced nudity to rape … has also been documented” at the facility.

‎According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, a video circulated showing sexual abuse of a Palestinian man in Israeli detention, and the Office called for “a full-scale investigation into Israel’s detention practices”.

‎In response to the leak, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government characterised the disclosure of the video as “betrayal and propaganda”, said the ambassador.
‎The Palestinian side and many human-rights groups interpret this as evidencing a culture of impunity — where even the most heinous crimes can, in effect, be reframed as heroism when the victims are Palestinian, he said.

‎Palestinian officials point out that more than 10,000 Palestinians — including women and children — are reportedly held by Israeli authorities, often in extremely harsh conditions.

‎Adding to the urgency of the matter is a proposed draft bill under consideration in the Knesset that would impose a mandatory death penalty on Palestinian detainees.

‎Ambassador Tamer Almassri strongly condemns this Draft Bill and calls upon the international community and legal institutions to take immediate action to expose and confront this dangerous course pursued by the occupying state. “We demand that the international community activate accountability and justice mechanisms, and place Knesset members supporting this approach on terrorism lists, sanctions, as well as the boycott of this racist institution,” he said.

He urged the international community and legal institutions to take immediate action to expose and confront this trajectory pursued by the occupying state.

‎The State of Palestine has stated it will continue to advocate for an end to the Israeli occupation, the prevention of what it calls genocide, and the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state where its citizens can live in dignity and respect.

‎The ambassador also called upon the international community to recognise the gravity of the situation, to launch concrete steps to hold Israel accountable, and to confront the culture of impunity and fascism it says has taken root.