GAZA, (PIC)
With a weakened body and an amputated leg, former Palestinian detainee Jibril al-Safadi recounts a harrowing experience inside Israeli prisons, one that did not end with his release, but extended into the loss of his son during the war in Gaza, in one of the most painful testimonies marking Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.
Al-Safadi’s ordeal began in early March 2024, when the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) besieged Hamad Residential City in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, forcing residents to flee toward military checkpoints.
While attempting to leave with his family, he was detained at one of the checkpoints after being separated from his wife and children, beginning a detention that lasted more than a year, according to his account.
Used as a human shield and denied medical care
In testimony given to Anadolu Agency, al-Safadi said that the IOF used him as a “human shield,” forcing him to walk ahead of soldiers during building raids, exposing him to the risk of gunfire and explosions. “They pushed me forward without any regard for my life,” he said.
He was later transferred to detention centers, where he endured beatings and abuse during transport, and was kept in iron restraints that caused injuries to his limbs. As his health deteriorated, particularly his leg, which developed a severe infection, he repeatedly requested medical treatment but was denied care.
“I was screaming from the severity of the pain and asking for treatment, but there was no response,” he said, adding that his condition worsened until he was shocked to find his right leg amputated in a field hospital before being returned to prison. His other leg also sustained serious damage.
Post-release trauma
During interrogation, al-Safadi said he was subjected to harsh methods, including prolonged shackling, beatings, and threats. “I was tied to an iron chair, and when they didn’t like my answers, the beatings would start,” he said.
He also reported witnessing other detainees subjected to physical abuse and degrading treatment, noting that some died as a result of torture inside prisons.
After his release, al-Safadi’s suffering did not end. He received what he described as the most devastating news: his son had been killed during the war in Gaza while trying to secure food for his family amid famine conditions.
“I lost my son just as I lost my leg,” he said, reflecting the scale of the tragedy that followed him both inside and outside prison.
Famine and escalating violations
Al-Safadi’s testimony comes as Gaza faces severe humanitarian conditions, with blockade measures and border closures contributing to widespread famine. On August 22, 2025, international organizations declared that famine had reached northern Gaza, with warnings it could spread further.
At the same time, the issue of detainees has seen unprecedented escalation. The number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons has surpassed 9,600, marking an 83 percent increase since the start of the war in October 2023. Among them are 86 women and around 350 children.
More than 3,500 detainees are held under administrative detention without charge or trial, the highest level recorded, while 1,251 individuals have been classified as “unlawful combatants,” excluding those held in military camps.
Data also indicates that more than 100 detainees have died since the war began, with 89 identities confirmed, while others, particularly from Gaza, remain forcibly disappeared.
Palestinians mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day annually on April 17 under what are described as the most severe conditions in decades, amid escalating abuses inside Israeli prisons and the advancement of legislation that allows for the execution of detainees.
