Doctor Alleges War Crimes at Israeli Detention Facility

The anonymous doctor, writing to the Israeli health and defense leadership, asserts that operations at the Beersheva-based camp fail to meet even the most basic medical requirements mandated by the Internment of Unlawful Combatants Law. Detainees—ranging from militants to civilians—are kept in cages, shackled around the clock, and often suffer injuries from metal restraints so severe they necessitate amputation. The whistleblower noted that such surgical interventions have become a routine occurrence at the facility.

Medical staffing at the site is critically inadequate, frequently relying on specialists like gynecologists or orthopedists to manage complex trauma cases. This mismanagement, combined with severe restrictions on patient care, has resulted in preventable complications and deaths. The physician, who claims to have previously warned the Health Ministry's director-general without success, stated that current practices implicate both the medical teams and government officials in the violation of both Israeli law and fundamental medical ethics.

Since October 7, at least 27 detainees have died in custody across Sde Teiman and Anatot. While the state maintains that many held under the Internment Law are not prisoners of war, human rights observers and critics—including the Haaretz editorial board—have likened the site to Guantánamo Bay. Despite mounting pressure from rights groups and academics demanding an end to these practices, the facility remains a flashpoint for accusations of state-sanctioned indifference and abuse.