“Israel seeks to break Palestinian children’s hope, spirit, and personhood, in an attempt to see that Palestinians’ right to self-determination is never realized.”
The “aid” distribution sites established by Israel and the United States during the ongoing Gaza genocide effectively served as a way to entice starving Palestinians into a closely surveilled area, with weapons at the ready to shoot and kill them.
More than 2,000 murders were recorded at these sites, with the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which was run by rabidly Islamophobic criminalsfrom the US, being the leading site of carnage. These sites also served as abduction sites, where Palestinians would be rounded up, have their biometrics recorded, and then shipped off to Israeli military-run dungeons for inhumane torture.
Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP), a Palestinian human rights organisation focused on child rights, has documented harrowing testimonies of physical and mental abuse from three children abducted from these “aid” sites.
Faris Abu Jabal (16), Mahmoud Al-Majayda (17), and Mohammad Al-Zoghbi (17) were abducted for the crime of seeking food for their starving families and were subjected to torture so severe that it defies belief. Long after their release, they continue to suffer from nightmares and find it difficult to sleep. “The concept of deep sleep is foreign to me,” said Mahmoud, while Faris’s mother told DCIP, “I am jolted awake by his screams, and he cowers in fear of being struck, pleading, ‘No, no, please don’t hit me.’”
Faris Abu Jabal, 16
Faris’s ordeal began on September 11 when he went with his father in the hope of finding food at the Morag corridor. Instead, Faris was abducted with 25 others before being interrogated by an Israeli soldier, who bound his hands, forced him onto his knees, and beat him severely.
“He struck my forehead so hard that it split open and required stitches,” Faris told DCIP in a report released last week. “After the interrogation, the soldier blindfolded Faris and threw him into a hole, where soldiers kicked him and other detainees. The next morning, Israeli forces transported them out of Gaza to Sde Teiman in southern Israel, with a stop at the Karem Abu Salem crossing, where detainees were ordered to disembark and strip naked. Israeli soldiers dressed them in white coveralls and forced them to lie on their stomachs on the ground for an hour, during which soldiers kicked and abused them,” the DCIP report adds.
Despite their tender age, the treatment meted out to the Arab children by the Israelis is no different from that to which their parents are subjected. The report reveals horrific torture:
Faris was placed in a cell with Palestinian adults for four days before being transferred to a cell for children which held about seven of them. After this, Faris was subjected to another brutal interrogation, during which he was handcuffed to a chair with his hands bound behind his back and his legs bound to the legs of the chair. Each time Faris answered, “I don’t know,” to an interrogator’s question, another interrogator beat his head and legs.
“In those moments, I felt nothing but pain, and my sole focus was on finding a way to escape the relentless beating and suffering,” Faris told DCIP. “I endured those hours without food, water, or even a chance to use the bathroom. Fear gripped me, preventing me from asking for anything, and I often lost control of my bladder during the interrogation. Each time I did, he would strike me harder and curse at me in Hebrew, words I could not comprehend.”
Faris was then taken to the “disco room,” in which Israelis subject Palestinian detainees to loud Hebrew music as a form of torture.
“They positioned my head right next to the speakers,” he told DCIP. “The soldier present, distracted by the sound, was evidently playing a game on his mobile phone. I could tell from his tone that he had just lost. In his frustration, he would open the door and unleash a brutal beating on me, striking randomly. I remained in that room until the day’s end, enduring numerous assaults, including having my head slammed against the wall, being kicked, and having my hair pulled.”
To compound his suffering, Faris spotted his father going through the same noise torture. The music was so loud that his father couldn’t even hear his calls to him.
“I managed to sneak a glance for a few seconds and spotted my father in the disco room,” said Faris. “I tried to call out to him repeatedly, but he couldn’t hear me at all due to the overwhelming noise from the loudspeakers.”
Faris was served rotten food in his cell. While he had to witness his father going through the same torture as him, the Israelis also tried to break him by showing pictures of his “mother in a compromising position,” and telling him, “Our soldiers raped and killed your mother and sisters”:
“One of the most challenging moments happened roughly a week prior to my release when a jailer approached me and displayed a photo of my mother in a compromising position through my cell window,” Faris told DCIP. “They had edited a picture of her alongside a soldier. ‘Look at what our soldiers did to your mother,’ the jailer taunted. In the image, my mother was lying next to a soldier. I could see her hair. ‘Do you want to go and see your mother? Our soldiers raped and killed your mother and sisters.’ In that instant, I felt an overwhelming urge to extend my hand through the cell window, kill the jailer, and drag him inside. I unleashed a torrent of curses fueled by my rage. As a consequence, I was suspended in the air for an entire week.”
“They bound my hands above my head and my legs below, each with a separate cuff, raising me about a meter off the ground,” Faris recounted. “Occasionally, they would strike my legs. I wet myself frequently during that time. They beat me with clubs on my legs and hurled vulgar insults at me, such as son of a bitch and other terms that I prefer not to repeat. After enduring the torture of being held in a stress position, the other children with me reassured me that [the rape and killing of my mother and sisters] was all fabricated, that the soldiers aimed to intimidate us, provoke us, and diminish our spirits, insisting that nothing of the sort had actually occurred.”
Now free, Faris is still haunted by his experiences in the Israeli dungeons and struggles for a peaceful sleep.
“I can’t stand for extended periods and find myself constantly seated,” Faris told DCIP. “I have a fear of seeking treatment or visiting a hospital, worried that they might kill me. Nighttime brings me terror as I awaken screaming from nightmares. Throughout the night, I am haunted by the same soldiers who tormented me, threatening to harm me. I continue to experience involuntary urination.”
Faris’ mother told DCIP, “I am jolted awake by his screams, and he cowers in fear of being struck, pleading, ‘No, no, please don’t hit me.’”
Mahmoud Majayda, 17
Mahmoud was abducted from a GHF site in Rafah on August 7 along with about 50 others, “who scattered when Israeli forces approached, opened fire, and encircled them.” Eventually, eight of them, including Mahmoud were blindfolded and taken to Rafah’s Hamad Hospital, which the Israelis had converted into a military base.
“Throughout this ordeal, the soldiers relentlessly beat and tortured us,” Mahmoud told DCIP. “They forced us into stress positions, struck us with sticks, and subjected us to electric shocks. Although I was blindfolded the entire time, I could sense the brutality of the beatings and the manner in which they were inflicted. They marked an ‘x’ on my back, and I understood that anyone bearing this mark would be taken to prison.”
After their ordeal at Hamad Hospital, the abductees were moved to the notorious Sde Teiman torture dungeon, where at least 29 Palestinian detainees have been murdered so far, and subjected to abuse, including in the “disco room.”
“A prisoner would be forced to lie on the concrete floor, and the music would blare on until one felt overwhelmed, suffering from headaches and a sensation as if their head might explode,” Mahmoud told DCIP. “I was confined in the disco room from 11 a.m. until 3 a.m. Following that, I was moved to another room where they activated the air conditioner to an extremely cold setting, stripped me of all my clothing, and left me there alone without explanation. They instructed me to recall anything or any information. I remained in this state for two days.”
The report adds, “After the ‘disco room,’ Mahmoud was transferred to a cell for children, where the child detainees were subjected to frequent crackdowns.”
“The crackdown unit launched stun grenades into the room, conducted a search, and removed us from the premises,” Mahmoud said. “They pulled me aside, handcuffed me, and dislocated my shoulder. I spent around 30 days unable to move my shoulder, enduring constant pain without any medical attention or assistance.”
Just 17, Mahmoud was placed in solitary confinement for two days, with his hands and feet in shackles. “I was in immense suffering,” Mahmoud recounted. “I couldn’t sleep for even a moment due to the overwhelming pain and paralyzing fear. At times, I would lose control and wet myself from sheer terror. The metal handcuffs were painfully tight, leaving me powerless. My meals in solitary confinement were limited to just two: breakfast consisted of labneh, jam, and a slice of bread, while lunch included tuna, hummus, and two pieces of bread. The heat was unbearable, causing me to sweat profusely. Fever blisters erupted all over my body, along with other unfamiliar blisters that I had no idea how to treat. I requested a doctor multiple times, but none were provided. I endured skin ailments, including scabies, relentless itching, and other unknown conditions. The cell was infested with numerous mosquitoes, flies, and various insects.”
Mahmoud was subsequently approached by the Israelis to become a collaborator, which the DCIP report adds, “is against Article 50 of the Fourth Geneva Convention for an occupying power like Israel to enlist or attempt to enlist children into its army or any of its formations.” Mahmoud refused the offer.
“He proposed that I collaborate with the Israeli army as a human shield, offering to take me to areas in Gaza and the tunnel regions in exchange for a monthly salary of 30,000 shekels (about $9,200 USD), an apartment fully equipped with essentials like food, water, and delightful treats, a vehicle or jeep of any type, a mobile phone, and three contact numbers. He assured me that I could remain in Israel if I wished, enjoying the freedom to make my own choices. He promised that once the war concluded, they would assist me in relocating my family to any country of my choice. I declined for various reasons, including the impact on my reputation and that of my family.”
Mahmoud’s refusal translated into a trip to the “disco room,” where he was severely beaten before being moved to his cell. The Israelis would also unleash dogs upon the Palestinian detainees and throw stun grenades that would burn the skin if they came in contact.
The torment was so excruciating that Mahmoud attempted twice to kill himself.
“Every two days, they would unleash dogs to torment us,” Mahmoud said. “After midnight, the crackdown unit would toss stun grenades into the rooms, compelling the prisoners to awaken and kneel. The act of throwing stun grenades is perilous; if they were to melt or come into contact with anyone, the plastic casing could melt and inflict burns. This unit also subjected me to severe beatings on my chest and other areas of my body, rendering me unconscious. My mental state deteriorated to such an extent that I attempted suicide twice: once by hanging myself with my trousers’ tie and again by cutting my wrist. Unfortunately, both attempts were unsuccessful.”
Despite being released on October 13, Mahmoud’s ordeal is far from over.
“Ever since my release from prison, I have struggled to sleep like others do,” he told DCIP. “Each time I shut my eyes, I am haunted by the same location, the same faces, the same cell. I awaken in terror, feeling as though I am still trapped within those cold walls. My mother gently wakes me, but my eyes are filled with fear, and my heart races as if I am still undergoing interrogation. The concept of deep sleep is foreign to me. I manage to doze off in bits, yet I frequently awaken. Nightmares are my constant companions, invading my nights with the faces of soldiers and their shouts echoing in my mind. It feels as though I have never truly escaped; the prison is inside me.”
“I feel exhausted, but not in a physical sense. There is a profound ache in my heart. It seems as though my soul is shattered, and I am at a loss for how to mend it,” Mahmoud said. “People perceive me as a child stepping into the world, yet I sense that I’ve abruptly matured during my confinement. Prison has stripped away my childhood, forcing me to rediscover how to laugh, how to sleep, and how to feel secure.”
Mohammad Zoghbi, 17
Mohammad was also abducted from a GHF site in Rafah on July 11. After abducting him and several other aid seekers, “Israeli forces scanned their irises, blindfolded and bound their hands, and forced them to their knees.” They took the abductees to their military base at Hamad Hospital before transporting them to the Sde Teiman dungeon.
“They commenced torturing and hitting me,” Mohammad told DCIP, describing his interrogation. “They repeatedly struck my stomach and sides. We were all blindfolded. One of us vomited blood and collapsed. They continued to kick and punch us. Their military boots had metal tips, causing intense pain. I still recall the agony as if it were occurring right now.”
Mohammad, despite his age, was placed in a cell with adults.
“The following day, they initiated a suppression against me and the others in the room,” Mohammad said. “At that moment, I was unaware of what suppression entailed. In the dead of night, they launched stun grenades into the room, close to my cage, causing them to explode. We were asleep, and the noise was terrifying. They opened the metal door, dragged us out, ordered us to raise our hands, and kneel. Then, they assaulted us, hurling the most vulgar insults. They searched the room thoroughly to ensure there were no knives or sharp objects.”
He was eventually moved to a cell for children. The cell already held 15 children. Like Faris and Mahmoud, Mohammad was also tortured in the “disco room.”
“After 77 days, I was subjected to interrogation,” Mohammad said. “They brought me to a room referred to as the ‘disco room,’ a distinct area within the prison, cut off from the rest of the facility. Continuous loud music blares without pause. The prisoner is made to lie on the concrete floor, and the music plays on until you feel bored, develop a headache, and your head seems like it might burst.”
The report adds that the interrogators tied Mohammad’s hands so hard that his arm broke: “After the ‘disco room,’ Mohammad was subjected to an interrogation during which the interrogator threatened to shoot him if he didn’t give him information. The interrogator also tightened the handcuffs so severely that Mohammad’s arm broke.”
“I could hear the bones in my arm cracking,” Mohammad recounted.
“They subjected us to electric shocks and used dogs to intimidate and torture us by unleashing the dogs on us while we were restrained and unable to defend ourselves,” Mohammad added. “Every two days, they would bring dogs to torment us, and the riot control unit would launch stun grenades into the cells after midnight to force us awake and make us kneel. The act of throwing grenades into the cells is extremely hazardous because if they melt or come into contact with anyone’s body, the plastic can melt and inflict injuries. The burns were intense.”
Free after months in the Israeli dungeon, Mohammed continues to wake up at 2 am, the exact time the Israelis would raid his cell during his days in detention.
“These days, I find myself waking up at 2:00 a.m., the exact time of the raid, a habit formed during my time in prison,” he said. “If I failed to wake up during the raid, the soldiers would beat me, and I risked being hit by a stun grenade they tossed into the room. I feel extremely exhausted and struggle to articulate or convey the emotions stemming from my experiences. Each time I recall those moments, I find myself sitting alone and crying.”
The report added that abuse of children in the Israeli dungeons has been systemic: “Each child interviewed by DCIP after release from Israeli military custody has reported brutal, dehumanizing torture, unsanitary conditions leading to scabies and infectious outbreaks, rotten and meager food, constant beatings and acts of humiliation by Israeli forces, and treatment designed to break their personhood and extract false confessions.”
“Israel’s detention of Palestinians has nothing to do with security, law or justice,” DCIP stated. “It is a system designed to physically and mentally scar a generation of Palestinians in an attempt to suppress any attempt to resist Israel’s Apartheid regime or demand that their fundamental rights are upheld. Israel seeks to break Palestinian children’s hope, spirit, and personhood, in an attempt to see that Palestinians’ right to self-determination is never realised.”
Notably, in December 2023, former US State Department official Josh Paul recounted a shocking case of Israeli abuse and impunity, in which Israel designated DCIP as a terrorist organisation merely for highlighting the rape of a 13‑year‑old boy in an Israeli dungeon.
A charity called Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) drew our attention at the State Department to the sexual assault, actually, the rape of a 13-year-old boy that occurred in an Israeli prison, in Al-Moskibiyya, in Jerusalem.
We examined these allegations, we believed they were credible, we put them to the government of Israel, and you know what happened the next day? The IDF went into the DCIP offices and removed all their computers and declared them a terrorist entity.
According to the latest figures released by the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, more than 350 children remain incarcerated in Israeli dungeons, excluding those held in the dungeons run by the genocidal Israeli army.
Given the impunity reserved exclusively for the Jewish state, despite the severity of its crimes against society’s most vulnerable, it is unlikely that Faris, Mahmoud, Mohammed, and thousands of other children like them will ever see justice.
C. Palestine will be Free
