DaysofPal- After nearly two years in Israeli prisons, Ibrahim Abdul-Monem, a young Palestinian man from Jabalia, has lost his eyesight completely as a result of brutal torture and inhumane treatment during his detention.
Abdul-Monem was arrested on October 23, 2023, while fleeing the Jabalia refugee camp through the Indonesian checkpoint with a group of displaced civilians.
According to his testimony, Israeli forces stripped him of his clothes, bound his hands, blindfolded him, and left him kneeling for nearly 20 hours before transferring him to Sde Teiman prison.
“They kept us handcuffed and shackled,” Abdul-Monem recalled.
“We were allowed to sleep only five hours, and at dawn they would pull away our mattresses. There was hardly any food or water, the treatment was extremely cruel.” He added.
He was later transferred to Ofer prison, where he and other detainees were subjected to continuous beatings, deprivation, and starvation.
“We went through hell,” he said, noting that “There was no food or drink; we fasted through the night just to gather what little food we had for a single meal.”
As his health deteriorated, Abdul-Monem’s vision began to weaken due to repeated assaults. He was taken to a hospital for eye surgery but his condition worsened until he became almost completely blind.
“In every prison I was moved to, the treatment was brutal and degrading,” he said.
“Ramon prison was the worst, constant raids, beatings, sleeping on iron beds without mattresses, no clothes or hygiene items.” He noted.
Beyond the physical pain, the psychological torment was unbearable.
He explained, “They told me my family had all died. I had no contact with the outside world and knew nothing about what was happening.”
Even on the day of his release under the latest prisoner exchange deal, he endured another beating.
“When they found out my name was on the list, they broke my leg,” he said. He now walks with a metal implant and suffers from anemia and weakness.
Freed but scarred, Abdul-Monem’s life has been forever changed.
“I can only see shadows now,” he said softly.
“They didn’t spare anyone, not the sick or the healthy. I lost my sight because of their cruelty. I beg international medical organizations to help me get treatment abroad before it’s too late.” He added.
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