The State Department is investigating alleged human rights violations at an Israeli detention camp known as the “Israeli Guantanamo.”
According to prison officials speaking with the New York Times in May, the Sde Teiman detention camp holds 4,000 Palestinians, most suspected or confirmed Hamas combatants. The prison staff has faced accusations of torture, rape, and widescale abuse of detainees, accusations which drew a State Department investigation, according to two Israeli officials and two U.S. officials speaking with Axios.
The investigation is probing an Israeli unit in charge of guarding the base, called Force 100. The unit drew international attention after several members were arrested following the release of footage showing the gang rape of a prisoner.
The investigation is under the Leahy Law, a 1997 piece of legislation that bans U.S. funding for or training with units credibly accused of human rights violations.
Two senior Israeli officials told the outlet that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem had reached out to the Israeli Foreign Ministry last week with a list of questions regarding alleged human rights violations by Force 100. One U.S. official said that Israel has cooperated with the investigation and that the State Department hadn’t reached a conclusive verdict yet.
If the investigation were to find human rights abuses from the group that weren’t rectified, Force 100 would be the first Israel Defense Forces unit to be sanctioned by the United States. However, this isn’t the first investigation into one.
In April, it emerged that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would announce sanctions against the IDF’s 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion over alleged crimes committed during its time in the West Bank. Shortly after, the U.S. paused the effort after Israel provided further information about the unit.
The alleged crimes that caused the unit to be targeted were committed before Oct. 7 and took place in the West Bank, unrelated to the conflict with Hamas. The crimes being investigated regarding Force 100 all took place during the war with Hamas.
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Since Oct. 7, 2023, at least 35 Palestinian detainees have died at Sde Teiman, according to the New York Times.
An August report from B’Tselem, an Israeli NGO harshly critical of the government, alleged abuses at the camp included “harsh arbitrary violence on a frequent basis, sexual assault, humiliation and degradation, deliberate starvation, forced lack of hygiene, sleep deprivation, restriction and punishment of religious worship, confiscation of all group and personal belongings, and denial of adequate medical care.”