Watan-The Prisoners’ Media Office affiliated with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas said on Tuesday that Abdullah Barghouti, who is detained in Israel’s Gilboa Prison, is undergoing a “systematic assassination attempt” and is “frequently falling into comas due to torture.”
The office stated in a press release:”The imprisoned leader Abdullah Barghouti is facing a deliberate slow-kill attempt inside Gilboa Prison. His health condition has become extremely critical and poses a direct threat to his life.”
According to the statement, recent information from inside Israeli prisons indicates that Barghouti has been severely beaten:”His body is covered in bruises, his head full of blood clots, his eyes swollen, and he has fractured ribs, making it impossible for him to sleep.”
Hamas Alleges Brutal Torture of Abdullah Barghouti in Israeli Prison
Barghouti, originally from Beit Rima in the Ramallah district of the West Bank and a Jordanian citizen, holds the longest sentence ever issued by Israeli courts—67 life terms. He is a senior commander in Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and was arrested in 2003.
The office further claimed that “suppression units storm his cell led by an officer named Amir, who orders brutal beatings until Barghouti bleeds.” “After the beatings, dogs are released to maul his bleeding body, with the officer reportedly saying, ‘Let the dogs enjoy him.'”
The torture reportedly escalates with “boiling dishwashing liquid poured on his weakened body” after each assault to intensify the pain.
The statement also describes verbal humiliation: “The officer tells him, ‘You were once a commander. Today you’re nothing… you should die.'”
Due to this extreme torture, Barghouti “frequently loses consciousness and has his hand wrapped only in a trash bag and toilet paper due to the absence of proper medical care.”
He is unable to sleep normally and is forced to sit with his head bent forward from unbearable pain. He hasn’t showered in 12 days and is reduced to soaking bread in water to consume it, being unable to chew.
Hamas Demands ICC Action Over ‘Slow Assassination’ of Barghouti in Israeli Cus
Hamas described these conditions as a “deliberate slow assassination” and a “flagrant violation of all international conventions.”
The statement warned that Israel’s ongoing attempts to eliminate leaders of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement “will only fuel more public anger and resistance.”
It added: “The continued international silence has emboldened the occupation to commit these atrocities, which are a disgrace to those who claim to defend human rights.”
Hamas called on international human rights organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to urgently visit Barghouti and assess his condition.
It also demanded the launch of an international investigation and the prosecution of Israel at the International Criminal Court.
Hamas Calls for Global Protests Amid Escalating Israeli Abuses in Prisons and Gaza
As of 20:20 GMT, Israeli authorities had not issued any response to the statement.
Amid its ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, Israel has escalated its measures against Palestinian prisoners, including increased abuse, beatings, torture, and food deprivation. These conditions have led to the deaths of 65 prisoners, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club.
As of early April 2025, over 9,900 Palestinians were detained in Israeli prisons, including about 400 children and 27 women.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with unwavering U.S. support, has committed what Hamas and human rights groups describe as acts of genocide in Gaza, resulting in over 170,000 Palestinian casualties—mostly women and children—and over 11,000 missing.
-
-
-
-
-
-
