Arabic version: الجذور التاريخية للتعذيب في الاحتجاز الإسرائيلي مكشوفة

Freed Palestinian prisoner Samir Abu Ghanem, who was detained by the Israeli army during its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, is checked over at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, after his release from an Israeli prison, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. His case highlights a troubling legacy of torture within the Israeli detention system, which has deep historical roots.

According to Al Jazeera, the practice of torture against Palestinians is not a recent phenomenon. Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that Israel has practiced torture against the Palestinians since the very beginning of its existence, drawing upon methods established during the British Mandate in Palestine. These methods were originally applied in counterinsurgency efforts against the Irish and were later incorporated into Israeli legal practices.

Albanese emphasized that torture is a common feature in colonial systems, where it serves as a tool for control and humiliation. This systemic violence is not merely an accident but an inherited practice from imperial methods that have been perpetuated through history.

The testimonies of former detainees, such as Rasmea Odeh, who suffered severe torture in the 1970s, illustrate the ongoing brutality faced by Palestinians. Odeh’s experience, which included sexual violence and physical abuse, is part of a broader pattern of mistreatment that continues today. The normalization of such violence is a strategy employed to instill fear and compliance among the population.

The legacy of British colonial practices has created a cycle of violence that persists in Israeli detention facilities. The methods used against Palestinians today echo the same tactics once employed in Ireland, demonstrating a continuity of oppression that spans decades and continents.