Palestinian prisoner advocacy organizations have launched an international campaign to expose and combat what they describe as systematic sexual violence against Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons, calling for international accountability and justice for survivors.

The initiative was unveiled on Tuesday during a press conference at Al-Bireh Municipal Hall, attended by representatives of Palestinian prisoner rights organizations, human rights groups, and several former detainees who publicly shared testimonies of abuse they said they endured while in Israeli custody, including allegations of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Organizers said the campaign comes amid an unprecedented escalation in abuses inside Israeli detention facilities since the outbreak of Israel's military offensive on the Gaza Strip.

According to the participating organizations, Palestinian prisoners have been subjected to widespread violations, including torture, prolonged starvation, humiliation, physical assaults, psychological abuse, and sexual violence.

The groups said these allegations are supported by hundreds of testimonies collected from former detainees and eyewitnesses, arguing that the reported violations reflect a broader pattern of abuse against Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinian prisoner organizations stressed that the alleged abuses should not be viewed as isolated incidents or the actions of individual prison personnel.

Instead, they argued that the violations constitute a systematic policy implemented through Israeli state institutions with the objective of degrading Palestinian detainees, stripping them of their dignity, and breaking their resolve.

The organizations said the treatment of prisoners forms part of what they described as wider violations committed against the Palestinian people under the Israeli occupation.

Campaign organizers said one of the initiative's primary objectives is to break the silence surrounding sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners by encouraging survivors to share their experiences in a safe and supportive environment.

The campaign also seeks to document survivors' testimonies and present them before international legal and human rights bodies in an effort to pursue accountability for those responsible.

Representatives emphasized that documenting these alleged violations is essential to ensuring that survivors' voices are heard and that justice mechanisms are activated.

The organizations called on the international community, the United Nations, human rights institutions, and international judicial bodies to launch independent investigations into allegations of abuse inside Israeli detention facilities and to take concrete measures to protect Palestinian prisoners.

They also urged international organizations to increase monitoring of conditions inside Israeli prisons and to hold Israeli authorities accountable for alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights standards.

The campaign reflects growing calls by Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups for greater international attention to the conditions faced by thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli custody, many of whom remain imprisoned amid the continuing conflict in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. (ILKHA)