Al Jazeera's documentary "Bodies of Evidence: Israel’s Darkest Weapon" exposes systematic sexual violence against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, including the use of dogs. Mohammed Zaki al-Bakri, a former detainee held for 20 months across five prisons, alleges he was stripped, handcuffed, and raped by a large dog while Israeli soldiers laughed and filmed.
Another former detainee, identified by the pseudonym Job, describes how dogs were unleashed on prisoners at Sde Teiman prison on verbal commands from soldiers. "The dog doesn't just bark and howl, it does what it's told," he says. He claims dogs bit and sexually assaulted prisoners.
The documentary also features testimonies from female detainee Shereen, who describes repeated strip searches and invasive examinations, and 17-year-old Adnan Hassan, arrested after losing his hand in a military raid, who endured beatings and humiliating searches for five months.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese states that the use of dogs to attack and sexually abuse Palestinian prisoners has long been documented. She describes a pattern of abuse including "shackling until bleeding, beating, dragging, starvation, exposure to cold, denial of medical care, attacks by dogs, solitary confinement, sexual abuse, forced stripping, and threats to rape and kill family members."
Israeli authorities deny systematic abuse. The Israel Prison Service claims it operates lawfully with oversight. However, former detainees say complaints to official bodies yield no results and often lead to increased violence.
The film also covers a settler attack on the Abu Kabash family in Khirbet Hamsa al-Fawqain in the West Bank. Sohaib Abu Kabash says settlers tied a plastic zip tie around his genitals and dragged him 100 meters. Police arrived late, and no one has been held accountable.
According to Palestinian sources, over 750,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel since 1967. Currently, 9,600 Palestinian political prisoners are in Israeli custody, including 3,532 under administrative detention without charge or trial. Human rights groups describe this as a generational system.
The documentary argues that sexual violence in Israeli prisons may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israeli officials dismiss the allegations as a "blood libel," but the filmmakers insist on the credibility of survivor testimonies.
Source: www.aljazeera.com