“What is there left after losing oneself?”: 100 testimonies of genocidal torture from Gaza

Introduction: Since 7 October 2023, the number of Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities has increased dramatically. Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted between December 2023 and November 2024 with 100 Palestinians who were detained by Israel. A mix of snowball and convenience sampling was adopted. Thematic analysis was based on a qualitative codebook, and findings were complemented by open-source material. Results: Detention conditions were generally poor, including insufficient and poor-quality water and food, and substandard hygiene conditions. Access to healthcare was usually delayed, restricted or absent. All interviewees reported ill-treatment or torture. This included but was not limited to prolonged, tight mechanical restraint with blindfolding, positional torture, forced nudity, sexual violence, and being used as human shields in military operations. Conclusion: We found that the treatment of Palestinians from Gaza in Israeli custody constitutes torture. We found that the treatment of the interviewees fulfils two acts under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute, namely, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of a group, and inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction.