Rights Groups Document Israeli Prison Guards Firing on Palestinian Inmates

Two human rights organizations have documented 22 testimonies from Palestinian prisoners and detainees alleging that Israeli prison guards fired on them with projectiles described as rubber, plastic, or sponge bullets. These incidents reportedly occurred at close range and inside cells, causing severe injuries that required surgical intervention. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) has refused to disclose the types of weapons and ammunition used.

The data, collected by Physicians for Human Rights and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, includes 21 testimonies from Palestinian inmates and one from a Jewish inmate, with most incidents occurring in the last year across several Israeli prisons. Medical documents reviewed by the organizations reveal serious injuries, including one case from June 2026 where a 45-year-old prisoner was hospitalized after an incident involving "disturbances and rubber bullet firing." He suffered multiple injuries, including to his testicles, with medical examinations showing a severe injury to the right testicle that necessitated its surgical removal.

Another prisoner reported being shot in the leg at close range by guards, with medical records confirming a fracture that required surgery. Testimonies also detailed incidents in Ofer, Gannot, Ketziot, Gilboa, Megiddo, Nitzan, and Eshel prisons, with injuries to the legs, lower body, abdomen, pelvis, and hands. Prisoners described being shot during raids on sections and inside cells, in situations where escape or cover was impossible. Some also reported being denied medical examinations or adequate treatment post-injury.

Following the collection of testimonies, the organizations appealed to the Israeli Attorney General and senior IPS officials, demanding an immediate halt to the "uncontrolled use of firing on prisoners" and disclosure of weapon types and regulations. The IPS acknowledged using "less lethal" means against prisoners, claiming their use is "calculated" and "proportionate" based on "operational necessity." However, they refused to reveal the nature of these means or the ammunition, citing "operational and security considerations," and rejected a comprehensive ban on their use.

Muhannad Abu Ghosh, Director of the Prisoners and Detainees Department at Physicians for Human Rights, stated that while firing on prisoners is not new, its use has seen an "unprecedented escalation" recently, becoming a "routine method of violence." He warned that this trend not only normalizes violence but also increases the risk of severe, untreatable injuries and endangers prisoners' lives.

Meirav Ben Ze'ev, Director of the Legal Department at the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, criticized the IPS's response as showing "contempt for the bodies and safety of the prisoners" and perpetuating "secrecy behind prison walls." She questioned the IPS's use of the term "less lethal" for ammunition used on Palestinian prisoners and stated the committee is considering further steps against these practices, which they view as a form of torture and a danger to life.