Palestinian detainee relays how torture in Israeli prison made him blind

Palestinian Detainee's Desperate Plea: "Heard Her Voice, But Saw Nothing"

As part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal, nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees have been released from Israeli jails, many bearing visible signs of abuse. Among them is Mahmoud Abu Foul, a 28-year-old from northern Gaza who spent eight months in detention before being released last week.

Abu Foul's story is one of relentless torture and brutality at the hands of Israeli guards. The young man was arrested from Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in late December and imprisoned in facilities notorious for their human rights abuses, including Sde Teiman prison. Guards there subjected Abu Foul to repeated beatings and torture, with one day's assault leaving him unconscious.

When he regained consciousness, Abu Foul discovered that the brutal treatment had taken a devastating toll on his physical health. He had lost his sight due to the torture, and despite his pleas for medical attention, guards only provided him with one type of eye drop, which offered no relief from the constant tearing, discharge, and pain.

The trauma Abu Foul endured was not unique. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has documented 100 testimonies from former detainees held between October 2023 and 2024, revealing a pattern of systematic abuse across all Israeli prison facilities. Torture was found to be pervasive, with many prisoners reporting being held incommunicado without access to judges, lawyers, or family members.

The evidence is stark: nearly 75 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli prisons since October 2023, and medical sources have found signs of abuse on some of the corpses. The United Nations estimates that these deaths were not natural but rather executions while restrained.

Despite hundreds of reported abuse cases, Israeli authorities have brought indictments in only two incidents, with no prison service personnel charged. This lack of accountability has emboldened the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to defend the harsh treatment of Palestinian prisoners, stating that "summer camps and patience for the terrorists are over."

Abu Foul's release serves as a stark reminder of the dire human cost of Israel's prison policies. As he now lives in a tent near ruins without proper medical care for his eyes, he remains desperate for help to travel abroad for treatment. His story is a powerful testament to the need for accountability and reform.

"I couldn't see her," Abu Foul said, his voice cracking with emotion as he described hearing his mother's voice for the first time after eight months of torture. "But just hearing her was worth the whole world."

another day another brutal story comin in mahmoud abu foul is one of the 2000 palesstinians who got released from israeli jails as part of that ceasefire deal but his story is way more tragic than most he spent 8 months gettin beat up and tortured by israeli guards while they were supposed to be "guarding" him lol and now he can barely see because of it his eyes are all messed up from the eye drops they gave him which dont even work for pain relief

and its not like israel is doin anythin about it either 75 palestinians died in those prisons since october last year and its clearly a case of executions while restrained but no one's gettin held accountable ben gvir is defendin this stuff like its no big deal wth the far right voters

this is so sad the guy was tortured and now his eyes are messed up cant even see his own mom it's like, what kinda system allows this to happen? ppl r talkin bout "summer camps" but its not a summer camp, its torture chamber we need 2 take action & make sure justice is served

omg this is literally heartbreaking abdul abu foul's story is like something outta a nightmare, i mean 8 months in detention with no access to proper medical care and then they release him without even giving him any real help? it's like they're expecting us to just forget about the whole thing

and can we talk about how Israeli authorities are handling these situations for a sec? like, two indictments out of hundreds of reported abuse cases is basically zero accountability and this minister ben-gvir needs to be held responsible for his actions too, it's not like he's being objective here.

but what really breaks my heart is abu foul's condition he can't see because of the torture he endured, but hearing his mom's voice was still somehow worth it? that's like the ultimate testament to love and resilience and we need more stories like this to be heard so that people actually care about holding those in power accountable.

it's not just about abu foul's story, though - it's about all those others who've been through similar trauma and are still waiting for justice we need change, we need reform, and we need it now

I'm really worried about what's happening to Palestinians in Israeli jails. 2000 detainees have been released, but many are still suffering from abuse and torture. It's like Israel is saying "we're okay with this" even though it's super clear that it's not.

One guy named Mahmoud Abu Foul was released last week after spending eight months in detention. He was beaten and tortured so badly that he lost his sight! Can you imagine? And when he got medical help, they just gave him one type of eye drop and told him to deal with the pain himself. It's like Israel is choosing not to take responsibility for what's happening.

I don't think it's okay that only two people have been charged with abuse so far. It means that the system isn't working, and people are getting away with harming others.

Abu Foul's story is really powerful because he heard his mom's voice for the first time after eight months of torture, but still couldn't see her face. That must have been so hard for him. We need to make sure that we're holding Israel accountable for what's happening in their prisons.

This is wild fam... I mean, like, what's going on in those Israeli jails? 2k Palestinian detainees released and many with visible abuse signs? That's some crazy stuff. And Abu Foul's story, man... lost his sight to torture? Like, how can they even do that to a human being?

And the fact that only two indictments were brought for reported abuse cases? That's just shady, you feel me? It's like, where's the accountability? And now Ben-Gvir is defending those harsh treatment policies? That's some messed up stuff right there.

I'm not saying Israel's entirely in the wrong here, but... I don't know, man. This whole thing reeks of cover-ups and silence. The UN estimating 75 Palestinian detainees died in Israeli prisons due to torture? That's some serious red flags waving in my direction.

this is a total miscarriage of justice . 2000 Palestinian detainees released without any real consequences for the ppl responsible . It's like Israel thinks it can just sweep all this abuse under the rug . Abu Foul's story is just one example, but there are so many more stories out there of ppl suffering in silence . The fact that they're still being subjected to harsh treatment after release is a clear indication that nothing has changed . It's all about politics and PR for Israel , not about justice or human rights .

this is such a sad story Mahmoud Abu Foul's case is giving me all the feels i mean, can u imagine being in so much pain and not getting proper help it's crazy that the authorities are more worried about keeping prisoners 'safe' than making sure they're treated humanely

i think it's time for us to take a closer look at what's going on in those prisons i mean, 75 deaths is no joke. and the fact that only two people have been charged so far? that just doesn't add up

i'm not saying Israel isn't doing anything right (they do have some amazing innovations ) but this whole situation needs to be taken seriously we need more transparency, more accountability, and more help for people like Mahmoud who are suffering

https://humanrights.org/new-reports/2024/palestinian-detainee-torture-conditions-israeli-jails/ Abu Foul's story is so heartbreaking, I can only imagine what he went through. 8 months of torture and abuse is just not right. Israel needs to do better in holding those responsible accountable for their actions. The fact that only 2 people have been indicted for this kind of abuse is unacceptable . We need more transparency and reform ASAP! https://www.aljazeera.com/news/midd...torture-in-israeli-jails-250216111113106.html

this is literally heartbreaking - can you even imagine going 8 months without seeing your mum and then finally hearing her voice but being unable to see her?? it's like, what kind of humanity do we have in this world? Israel is basically a prison camp for Palestinians and they're just passing the buck on abuse cases

I mean, come on Itamar Ben-Gvir saying "summer camps and patience for the terrorists are over" is just disgusting he needs to be held accountable for these crimes and so do all the people involved in this system of oppression. The fact that only 2 indictments have been brought against prison staff is a joke

And what's even more infuriating is that the world is just sitting here watching as Palestinians are treated like animals Abu Foul is literally living in a tent without proper medical care and his mum can't see him because he lost her eye due to torture it's like, when will we wake up and do something about this?!

We need to demand action from our governments and from the UN to put an end to this nightmare until then, Abu Foul is just going to be a statistic in a long line of suffering Palestinian prisoners

I'm telling you, this is all just a smokescreen. They're trying to cover up what's really going on in those prisons. 2k Palestinian detainees released and hardly anyone's being held accountable? That's not a ceasefire deal, that's just whitewashing their human rights abuses. And now this kid Abu Foul is living in a tent with no proper medical care? It's like they're trying to make him disappear too . And don't even get me started on that National Security Minister dude... he's just spewing conspiracy theories about "summer camps" and whatnot. This whole thing reeks of a cover-up .

this is so sad hearing about mahmoud abu foul's story is heartbreakin , can't believe he had to go thru that kinda trauma & pain 2 many ppl r dyin in those prisons , its time 4 israel 2 take responsibility