B’Tselem Report – “Living Hell: The Israeli Prison System”
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, B’Tselem released new figures and testimonies revealing the extent of violence employed against Palestinians in Israeli prisons, which function as a network of torture camps: systematic abuse, including physical and psychological violence, inhuman conditions, deliberate starvation and denial of medical treatment, resulting in many deaths. Some released prisoners recounted undergoing or witnessing sexual violence.
The new report lists 84 Palestinians (including one minor) who died in Israeli torture camps since October 2023, detailing each prisoner’s name, place of residence (50 from the Gaza Strip, 31 from the West Bank and 3 citizens of Israel) and the facility in which they died. As of January 2025, Israel is still holding 80 of the bodies and refusing to return them to their families. There are indications that the number of Palestinians who died in Israeli torture camps is higher. However, the report notes only those for whom B’Tselem was able to verify the information. The report shows that the policy of abuse is declared, deliberate, and is coming from the very top. National Minister of Security Itamar Ben Gvir, who is in charge of the Israel Prison Service, brags in TV puff pieces and on social media about the inhuman treatment of Palestinians in these facilities. He is not alone. The entire Israeli system has rallied to shield the people designing and implementing this policy from any accountability.
The report is based on the extensive analysis provided in B’Tselem’s August 2024 report “Welcome to Hell”, on updated figures, and on the testimonies of 21 Palestinians released from Israeli prison facilities in recent months. It also draws on the work of Israeli and international human rights organizations that monitor these facilities.