Israeli Rights Groups Document Surge in Prison Guards Firing Rubber Bullets at Detainees

Israeli human rights organizations have documented a sharp increase in prison guards firing rubber bullets at inmates inside detention facilities, frequently at point-blank range and in confined spaces without prior unrest. In reports released in October 2026, Physicians for Human Rights Israel and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel disclosed that at least 21 to 22 cases of projectile shootings have been recorded across five detention centers, almost entirely targeting Palestinian prisoners alongside one Israeli inmate. Rights investigators reported that while such weapons were documented only a handful of times over the previous decade, the vast majority of these recent incidents occurred between late 2025 and mid-2026.

Medical records and inmate testimonies detail severe trauma inflicted in cells, exercise yards, and legal consultation waiting areas. At Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, hospital files from Soroka Medical Center confirmed that a 45-year-old prisoner suffered a completely crushed testicle requiring surgical excision in June 2026 after members of the specialized Masada unit discharged rounds directly into his cell. In July 2026 at the same facility, another inmate required emergency surgery after a rubber bullet fractured his left shin. Additional files describe prisoners struck in the knees, legs, stomach, and pelvic region, including an inmate shot for refusing to return to his cell during a protest over untreated scabies and another denied medical attention for 15 days following an April 2026 shooting.

In August 2026, human rights organizations formally petitioned the Israel Prison Service to enact a blanket ban on the unlawful use of rubber and plastic ammunition inside confined settings. Under official prison regulations, staff are permitted to discharge weapons only as a last resort against imminent risks or escape attempts. However, the legal adviser for the Israel Prison Service rejected prohibitions on the munitions, maintaining that authorities see no justification to halt using rubber bullets in measured and appropriate ways. The prison service did not respond to press requests regarding specific engagement rules or instances of close-range firing, while legal advocates noted that detained victims often fear reporting abuses due to potential retaliation and historic lack of prosecutions.

Israeli correctional and military detention facilities have faced persistent scrutiny over the treatment, medical care, and living conditions of Palestinian detainees. While Israeli forces previously utilized rubber bullets during isolated major disturbances, such as a large-scale raid at Ofer prison in 2019, the deployment of kinetic impact projectiles inside everyday residential cell blocks was historically rare. Israel remains among a small group of nations, including the United States and Canada, that formally authorizes correctional staff to employ less-lethal munitions such as rubber-coated projectiles and impact rounds.

Conditions inside the detention system escalated sharply following the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent outbreak of the Gaza war. Israeli security forces conducted mass arrests across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, effectively doubling the incarcerated population. Although select detainees were freed during previous exchange agreements, monitoring groups such as Hamoked report that over 9,000 Palestinians, including hundreds of minors and dozens of women, remain held in Israeli custody amid persistent documentation of overcrowding, systemic ill-treatment, and inadequate clinical care.