The Palestinian Center for the Defense of Prisoners on Monday condemned Israel’s decision to return soldiers accused of serious abuses against Palestinian detainees to military service, saying the move provides official cover for impunity.
In a statement, the center said Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir recently approved the return of several soldiers from what is known as “Force 100” to reserve duty, despite their involvement in the torture and sexual assault of a Palestinian prisoner at the Sde Teiman Military Base.
The group said the decision reflects the nature of the Israeli system and demonstrates a broader policy of protecting perpetrators of abuses rather than holding them accountable.
It stressed that violations against Palestinian prisoners are not isolated incidents, but part of an organized policy for which Israeli political and military leaders bear responsibility at the highest levels.
The center also linked the move to Israeli efforts to pass what Palestinians describe as the “Execution of Prisoners Law,” saying it marks a dangerous shift toward legalized killing under a formal legal framework.
It further criticized what it described as international inaction, saying global legal and human rights institutions have remained spectators despite documented grave abuses, including sexual assaults that reached the level of rape, without imposing deterrent measures.
The organization warned that Palestinian detainees continue to face catastrophic conditions inside Israeli prisons, including torture, starvation, medical neglect, and the absence of any effective international protection.
It said the continuation of such abuses without accountability places clear responsibility on the international community and called for urgent action to stop the violations, prosecute those responsible, and bring them to justice.
Meanwhile, Haaretz reported that Zamir approved the return of the soldiers accused of abusing a detainee from Gaza at Sde Teiman to reserve service, despite the dismissal of indictments against them and without any command-level investigation being completed.
The case first came to light in July 2024 after a Palestinian prisoner was reportedly subjected to torture and sexual assault inside the detention facility, leaving him seriously injured.
Last month, Israeli military prosecutors dropped charges against five soldiers in the case, prompting widespread criticism from rights organizations.
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