Israel’s Hidden Horror: Palestinians Trapped in Underground Prison Without Charge
The Guardian released an exclusive investigation Saturday revealing that Israel is detaining dozens of Palestinians from Gaza in Rakefet, a secretive underground prison without charge. Consequently, the facility denies detainees sunlight, adequate food, and all contact with their families or the outside world, violating basic human rights.
Lawyers from the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) provided testimonies detailing the severe mistreatment prisoners face. For instance, the lawyers spoke to two detained civilians: a nurse arrested in December 2023 and an 18-year-old food vendor detained in October 2024. Furthermore, these men, transferred in January, described routine beatings and violent abuse mirroring documented torture cases.
Horrific Inhumane Conditions
Rakefet originally held organized crime members in the early 1980s, but authorities shut the prison down quickly, calling the conditions “inhumane.” However, following Israel’s military operation in Gaza, far-right Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the facility reopened specifically to detain Palestinians.
The Guardian reported that the entire prison, including cells, lies underground, denying prisoners natural light, as visiting lawyers described armed, masked guards who led shackled prisoners down staircases into bug-infested rooms with unusable toilets.
Moreover, cameras monitor lawyer visits, violating detainees’ right to confidential legal counsel. Windowless cells lack proper ventilation; detainees recounted breathlessness, beatings, dog attacks, and guards intentionally stepping on them, denying them adequate food and medical care.
Despite a ceasefire releasing 1,700 Gazan prisoners, over a thousand Palestinians remain held indefinitely without formal accusation. PCATI’s director, Tal Steiner, labeled the Rakefet conditions “horrific by intention,” asserting the treatment grossly violates international humanitarian law. Ben-Gvir publicly celebrated the reopening.
Ultimately, The Guardian concludes that Rakefet represents a profound moral and security stain on Israel itself.
