Most of the Palestinians captured after Hamas' October 7 massacre will be transferred from the Sde Teiman detention facility located near Beer Sheva, the state told the Supreme Court.
Following an investigation published last month by CNN, which reported "abuse and torture" of Palestinian detainees in the Sde Teiman facility, the Supreme Court on Wednesday addressed the appeal by the human rights organizations. The activists are demanding the closure of the facility near Beer Sheva. Shortly before the hearing, the state responded: "Efforts are being made to improve conditions."
The petition was filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel, the Center for the Defense of the Individual, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, and the Center for the Protection of the Right to Travel. The organizations stated that "over the past months, evidence has accumulated regarding what is happening at the facility, revealing an incomprehensible reality."
According to them, "procedures were performed without anesthesia, detainees were held for many days in painful positions and in isolation, leading to organ amputations; detainees were held blindfolded for long periods even during medical treatment and abuse." The organizations further wrote in their petition that "even suspects involved in the worst acts are entitled to humane detention, ensuring basic human needs."
The state said it would soon transfer the detainees to another location, explaining in its response to the court that "the facility was opened overnight following the events of October 7 and was intended to serve as an initial detainment facility for prisoners captured during combat in Gaza, before their transfer to the Shin Bet or their release."
"Many arrests were made during combat, leading to a dramatic and unprecedented increase in prisoner numbers," the state added in its comments. "Due to crowding in the Shin Bet facilities, detainees were held in the facility for a longer period than originally anticipated. A medical facility was also established nearby."
The state announced that a new military detention facility has been opened, where many prisoners are awaiting their transfer to Shin Bet facilities. "Another 500 prisoners from the Sde Teiman facility will be transferred to the facility, and the transfer will be completed within 10 days. Afterward, only 200 prisoners are expected to remain in the Sde Teiman facility."
The state said the IDF will work to accommodate the prisoners in other facilities in the immediate future and will upgrade the medical facility while establishing a new facility, which will lead to changes and improvements in conditions.
Moreover, the state announced the establishment of a new oversight mechanism. "An advisory committee has been tasked with examining the conditions of imprisonment, the treatment of prisoners, the proper management of IDF-run detention facilities, and their adherence to regulations and international law," the state explained in its response.
"The advisory committee has begun its work and has been requested to submit its recommendations to the IDF Chief of Staff within 21 days of its appointment," according to the response. The state clarified that it does not accept the petitioners' appeals and these actions to improve imprisonment conditions for detainees did not happen in response to the appeal.
The representative in the hearing stated that "it is important for us to emphasize that the petition does not deal with interrogations or their release, but their holding conditions. We argue that the facility operates without authority. It is impossible to declare it a facility without basic conditions. People there are bound and blindfolded because there is no other way to guard them."
Acting President of the Supreme Court of Israel Uzi Vogelman said: "We understand that on Monday, June 10, the last remaining detainees will be transferred. I assume that the matter will be examined by the authorities."