A shocking video has emerged showing the gang rape of a Palestinian prisoner by guards at the Sde Teiman detention facility in the Negev desert, southern Israel.
The footage, which has not been independently verified by Outlook, shows the prisoner being selected from a larger group lying bound on the floor. The victim is then escorted to a wall, where guards, using their shields to hide their identity from the camera, proceed to rape him.
Trigger Warning: Viewer Discretion Is Advised
The attack is believed to have been so brutal that, after he was transferred to hospital, the victim was unable to walk, Israeli media reported.
Ten soldiers from the Force 100 unit, responsible for guarding the facility, were arrested on July 29 in connection with the rape. However, three of the arrested soldiers were released on August 4, adding to the two previously released by investigators following a military court hearing in Kfar Yona on July 30.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that five soldiers remain in detention for allegations of "serious abuse", and the investigation is ongoing.
"The military court accepted the request of the military prosecution in its entirety and stated in its decision that the evidence shows a reasonable suspicion of the commission of the acts," the IDF said in a written statement.
The US State Department has condemned the abuse, with spokesman Matthew Miller saying: "We have seen the video, and reports of sexual abuse of detainees are horrific. They ought to be investigated fully by the government of Israel, by the IDF.
"There ought to be zero tolerance for sexual abuse, rape of any detainee, period. If there are detainees who have been sexually assaulted or raped, the government of Israel, the IDF, need to fully investigate those actions and hold anyone responsible accountable to the full extent of the law."
