Former Beit Hanoun detainee recounts electric shocks at Ofer Prison

An investigative report found that in 2023, the Israeli police sought to purchase spare parts for American TASER devices worth 3.5 million shekels, while Amnesty International says these weapons are not covered by the Arms Trade Treaty, creating a gap in oversight.

Hilal Times Editorial DeskOctober 31, 2026, 04:51 PMUpdated: November 01, 2026, 01:34 AM

Former Beit Hanoun detainee recounts electric shocks at Ofer Prison

A joint investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) found that TASER electric-shock devices made by the U.S. company Axon Enterprise were repeatedly used against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and detention centers in 2024 and 2025.

Daraj republished the investigation’s findings this week. They are based on testimonies from former detainees and the nature of the injuries visible on their bodies, while the investigation says that using these devices in this manner violated U.S. export-control regulations.

Illustration of a TASER X26 device

Effects of electric shocks on the body

A former detainee named Issa, whose home in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip was destroyed in late 2023, recounted that he was subjected to electric shocks while detained at Ofer Prison. He was released in October 2025, and the effects of the shocks remain visible on his body. Other former detainees gave similar testimonies.

The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims said that clustered scars can result from the repeated use of a stun gun, indicating that the person was likely restrained while being shocked.

The investigation said that footage produced for the Israeli Prison Service and dated September 2025 and April 2026 showed a device resembling a TASER. An investigation by Israel’s military prosecution into the case of five soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility in July 2024 also said that the detainee had been shocked in the head with a TASER.

Deals and partnerships

According to the investigation, the Israeli police sought in March 2023 to purchase spare parts for TASER X26P devices worth 3.5 million shekels, or about $1.1 million, from MR Hunter, Axon’s Israeli distributor. MR Hunter won the tender in January 2024 to supply the devices for one year, with an option to extend the contract for up to seven years. Axon representatives also promoted the company’s latest TASER models at a security conference in Israel in June 2025.

Axon did not respond to the investigation team’s questions about its sales to Israel and its monitoring of how its devices are used. An Israeli army spokesperson said that mistreating detainees is strictly prohibited.

A gap in international oversight

According to Axon’s 2025 annual report, the devices are manufactured in Arizona, and their exports are overseen by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. Patrick Wilken of Amnesty International said that projectile electric-shock weapons are not covered by the Arms Trade Treaty, creating a gap in oversight. In 2025, the United Nations Committee Against Torture confirmed that cases of torture and ill-treatment in Israeli detention centers had risen sharply since October 7, 2023.

Have a story, event or announcement of your own?Send us your news on WhatsApp

Spotted an error in this story?Report it on WhatsApp

Share on all social platforms

Former Beit Hanoun detainee recounts electric shocks at Ofer Prison