Israel is reportedly detaining dozens of Palestinians in a secret underground prison called Rakefet, where sunlight never reaches. Most detainees are being held without any formal charges and under severe conditions, including lack of food, medical care, and family contact.
Among them are a 34-year-old nurse arrested from her hospital in December 2023 and an 18-year-old food vendor detained at an Israeli checkpoint in October 2024. Both have been confined since January and are represented by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI). The organization reports regular beatings, confinement in windowless underground cells, and even dog attacks.
Israel’s High Court recently acknowledged that Palestinian detainees are not receiving adequate food. Prisoners are sometimes allowed outside only once every two days for a few minutes.
PCATI’s director Tal Steiner described the situation as “deliberate persecution,” warning that prolonged darkness causes mental instability and physical harm.
Originally built in the 1980s for dangerous criminals, Rakefet was closed for being “inhumane” but reopened after October 7, 2023, under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. It now reportedly holds about 100 Palestinians, part of the 1,700 detained from Gaza early in the war.
Source: The Guardian.