Former Palestinian detainees, speaking to Al Jazeera, have given detailed accounts of rape, sexual assault, and physical abuse at the hands of Israeli soldiers and prison guards across multiple detention facilities. Among them is Mohammed al-Bakri, arrested during Israeli military operations in Gaza in March 2024, who described being stripped, attacked by dogs, and sexually assaulted while blindfolded and handcuffed; a 17-year-old from Rafah similarly described abuse by female soldiers after being detained near an aid distribution point. Rights organisations including the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor and the Ramallah-based Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling say the accounts — drawn from dozens of released detainees — reflect a systematic pattern, with one researcher telling Al Jazeera: "It's not isolated incidents. It's not a lone wolf." The number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons has risen by 83 per cent since before the war, reaching more than 9,600 last month, including 350 children and over 3,500 administrative detainees held without charge.