Pogrom in Israeli prison in retaliation of Iran attack

Israeli prison forces have launched a violent crackdown on Palestinian prisoners across several detention centers over the past few days, storming prison cells and beating detainees under the pretext that they were celebrating Iran’s retaliation attacks on Israel, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS).

Israeli authorities, through a spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service (IPS)—the security unit responsible for managing Israeli prisons—have released footage showing prison guards taking disciplinary action against inmates who were seen cheering in support of Iran’s recent missile strikes. The video has sparked outrage and renewed concerns about the treatment of prisoners amid escalating regional tensions.

During Shabbat, several incarcerated individuals, referred to as "terrorists" by Israeli authorities, were reportedly beaten and subjected to "disciplinary" measures after allegedly celebrating the rocket attacks targeting Israeli civilians. These actions were carried out following an order from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

In numerous Israeli detention facilities, Palestinian inmates were reportedly assaulted by prison forces, placed in solitary confinement, and stripped of various "privileges" under heightened security protocols.

An incitement article from Eliana Fleming on jfeed.com speak about one of an incident:

During a rocket barrage targeting Israeli civilian areas, Palestinian inmates in an Israeli prison were reported to have celebrated in "A central Israeli high-security facility". The Israel Prison Service, under Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, deployed the elite Metzada unit to conduct a controlled raid. The inmates involved faced disciplinary hearings and punitive measures.

The perpetrators

The Metzada Unit (Hebrew: יחידת מצדה) is the tactical unit of the Israel Prison Service (IPS), tasked with arresting escaped prisoners, conducting hostage rescues, leading special operations and prison raids, managing prison riots, and providing VIP protection. It is one of five official hostage rescue units in Israel and operates nationwide under the direct authority of the IPS Chief of Operations.

Since 2006, the unit has also been subordinate to the IDF General Staff and may participate in military missions with the IPS Commissioner’s approval. Metzada specializes in the use of non-lethal weapons, and its instructors provide guidance to the broader Israeli defense community on related tactics.

PPS statement

Amjad al-Najjar, head of the PPS, said in a press statement that Israeli suppression units, accompanied by police dogs, raided prisoner sections, brutally assaulting detainees with batons and tear gas after handcuffing them. He described the scenes as devoid of any basic standards of human dignity. He described the operation as a “systematic campaign of repression” inside Israeli occupation prisons. He warned that prisoners are enduring increasingly harsh conditions as the prison administration intensifies its punitive measures. “The Israeli occupation authority is exploiting the world’s focus on the Iran-Israel escalation to exact revenge on Palestinian prisoners, away from international scrutiny,”(...). “The risk to their lives grows with each passing day.".

In response to the ongoing abuses, Palestinian institutions have sent urgent letters to the United Nations and various human rights organizations, urging immediate action to halt the violations and to hold Israeli authorities accountable.