Israeli prison guards have reportedly fired rubber bullets at Palestinian detainees in close quarters, resulting in severe injuries and necessary surgeries.. These incidents occurred within confined areas like cells and waiting rooms across five different facilities, often without any prior security threats.
The 21 documented shootings across five Israeli prisons
Since October 2023, rights investigators have tracked at least 21 separate shooting incidents involving rubber-coated ammunition within the Israeli prison system. According to a report by the Israeli daily Haaretz, many of these attacks took place during late 2025 and the first half of 2026, with guards firing at point-blank range. These actions were frequently carried out in the absence of any preceding unrest or security disturbances among the Palestinian detainees.
The documentation of these events comes from the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Physicians for Human Rights Israel. These organizations highlight a disturbing trend where tools designed for outdoor crowd control are being repurposed for internal discipline and punishment within the walls of the prison system.
Surgical interventions at Soroka Medical Centre and Ketziot
The physical toll of these close-range shootings is evidenced by hospital records from the Soroka Medical Centre, which confirmed that one Palestinian inmate suffered the complete destruction of an internal organ. This injury was so severe that it required an immediate surgical excision to save the prisoner's life.
Further evidence of brutality emerged from the Ketziot facility, where another prisoner underwent emergency surgery in July to repair a fractured left shin. As reported by Haaretz, this specific victim was shot at close range in April but was allegedly denied any form of medical care for 15 days, only receiving the necessary operation upon his release from the facility.
The Masada unit's use of rubber rounds in sleeping cells
Testimony from detainees reveals the specific tactics used by the Israeli Prison Service's specialized Masada unit. In one documented case, a prisoner testified that guards first kicked him during a strip search; a week later, members of the Masada unit discharged rubber rounds directly into his cell.. The rounds struck the prisoner in the knee and groin—areas already injured from the previous assault—before guards dragged the bleeding man roughly 50 metres.
Rights monitors have confirmed that these shootings are not limited to cells but have also occurred in exercise yards and legal consultation waiting areas. This suggests a systemic application of force across all areas of prisoner life, rather than isolated incidents of escalation during riots.
The plight of 9,350 Palestinians in Israeli custody
These shooting incidents occur against a backdrop of widespread distress for the approximately 9,350 Palestinians currently incarcerated in Israeli facilities. This population includes 350 children and 90 women, many of whom are subject to reports of starvation, severe medical neglect, and torture.
The use of rubber bullets in confined spaces is part of a broader pattern of deteriorating conditions.. For the thousands of detainees held in these facilities, the lack of oversight transforms the prison environment into a space where non-lethal weaponry is used to inflict maximum pain without the immediate lethality that would trigger an international outcry.
Why the Israeli Prison Service rejected the August ban petition
In August, rights organizations formally petitioned Israeli authorities to prohibit the use of plastic and rubber ammunition in confined settings. However, the Israeli Prison Service rejected the request for a blanket ban, effectively sanctioning the continued use of these weapons inside cells and waiting rooms.
This refusal leaves critical questions regarding accountability and the legal threshold for "necessary force." Meirav Ben Zeev, a lawyer with the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, has noted that detainees fear reporting such abuses because previous complaints have failed to result in any prosecutions. It remains unclear why the Israeli Prison Service views rubber bullets as a necessary tool for indoor prisoner management when the resulting injuries frequently require major surgery.
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