Gaza City, Gaza – Wen Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, chop shouts and insults on Tuesday for New York and pipo call am "war criminal," some international media talk say di matter dey extraordinary.
But for we Palestinians, especially wey dey Gaza, e no shock us. Di question sef na why e take dis long before e happen.
Ben-Gvir don get long history of racism, and e dey provoke people well well. But wetin pain me pass as Palestinian journalist for Gaza na di way e dey treat prisoners, turn di prison system to place of wickedness. Wetin di world see for Manhattan sidewalk, na wetin we dey live for here, and e worse pass.
For di wahala of occupation, Israeli prisons don turn to hidden place of suffering. But now, Ben-Gvir don expose di wickedness clear-clear.
Before, dem dey see Ben-Gvir as extremist wey dey one corner, but now e dey control system wey no just dey dehumanize people by mistake, but na di main plan be dat.
For June 2024, e talk say: “We suppose dey shoot prisoners for head instead of to dey give dem food.” No be mistake e talk am. Na di kind system of wickedness wey e dey run be dat, and e don dey worse since e take over.
Earlier dis year, for February, Ben-Gvir post video wey show Palestinian prisoners dey kneel under gun, dem force dem repaint prison walls wey dem don write slogans like “Jerusalem na Arab,” “We no go forget, we no go forgive.” For April, e still dey happy as report show say dem don create new underground prison cells wey dark, no air, and no sound, for di thousands of people wey dem arrest after October 7. Dis no be story, na real life dungeon.
Di life of almost 10,000 Palestinian prisoners, plus di thousands wey dem don "disappear" from Gaza, dey happen for dis kind cells.
Dem dey chain dem body, di concrete dey swallow dia shout, and dem dey strip dia humanity. Na wetin organisations like Palestinian Prisoners’ Club and Commission for Detainees’ Affairs talk for joint statement.
Since di start of Israel campaign for Gaza, dem don arrest over 16,400 Palestinians, including 510 women and 1,300 children. Di numbers from Gaza no clear because of di way dem dey hide people, but di suffering no dey hide.
Di condition no be just war matter; na system wey dem don dey perfect for years, and e don worse under dis government. Former detainees dey talk say di pattern na isolation, beating, mental torture, and no legal or human rights.
One man wey dem arrest for Shuja’iyya neighbourhood for February 2024 talk say dem chain am hand and leg for two days for dark room wey e no fit see e hand. E say e feel say e don die. Dem beat am for head till e dey see white light. Food na stale thing wey dem throw for ground. E say e be like horror film.
Another woman wey dem arrest for January talk say soldiers pour cold water for her body before dem carry her go. She stand for one day without rest, blindfolded, and dem dey threaten her with sexual violence.
One man from Rafah wey dem hold for months without charge talk say interrogators show am picture of him wife and children for white cloth, tell am say dem die for airstrike. Di pain make am collapse, but later e find out say na lie dem dey lie to break am.
Dis stories no be one-off. Na system wey dem don build. Dem no dey allow sleep, no lawyer, no medical care, and movement dey depend on obedience. Many no even know why dem dey hold dem.
Ben-Gvir no dey hide am. E don make am law. E no dey try secure anything, e dey try erase Palestinian humanity. Di prison system dey work as dem plan am: to degrade, erase, and destroy.
But Palestinians dey resist, even for small ways. Some dey count hours by di footsteps of guards. Some dey memorise Quran verses or scratch names for wall. Dis small acts na resistance and testimony.
Di testimony wey dey reach di outside world no just need sympathy, e need action. Di international community sabi wetin dey happen. Di question na whether dem go act.
