Gaza detainees shackled, blindfolded and in nappies at Israel hospital

A second whistle-blower said the situation at Sde Teiman was only part of the problem, which extended into public hospitals. The BBC is calling him “Yoni” to protect his identity.

In the days that followed the 7 October attacks, he said, hospitals in southern Israel were faced with the challenge of treating both wounded fighters and wounded victims, often in the same emergency departments.

Hamas gunmen had just attacked Israeli communities along the border fence with Gaza, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping some 250 others.

“The atmosphere was extremely emotional,” Yoni said. “Hospitals were completely overwhelmed, both psychologically and in terms of capacity.”

“There were instances where I heard staff discuss whether detainees from Gaza should get painkillers. Or ways to perform certain procedures that can turn the treatment into punishment.”

Conversations like this were not uncommon, he said, even if actual instances appeared very rare.

“I have knowledge of one case where painkillers were used selectively, in a very limited way, during a procedure,” he told the BBC.

“The patient did not receive any explanation of what was going on. So, if you put together [that] someone is undergoing an invasive procedure, which involves even incisions, and doesn’t know about that, and is blindfolded, then the line between treatment and assault thins out.”

We asked the Health Ministry to respond to these allegations, but they directed us to the IDF.