Israeli guards ‘crushed’ Palestinian prisoner’s testicle with rubber bullet

Israeli prison guards allegedly injured a Palestinian prisoner by firing rubber bullets at close range, reportedly crushing his testicle, according to human rights groups. Physicians for Human Rights Israel and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel documented 21 cases of severe injuries caused by rubber bullets inside Israeli jails, raising concerns over the cruelty towards Palestinians.

One 45-year-old prisoner required surgical removal of his right testicle following an incident in June, where guards allegedly kicked him during a search. Another prisoner needed surgery for a fractured tibia after being struck by a rubber bullet in July. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and feeling pain during confrontations with Israeli prison officers.

Human rights organizations warn that firing rubber bullets at close range in confined spaces increases the risk of severe injuries due to fragments and ricochets. They also express concern that militarizing prison officers through a new designation as "incarceration combatants" may lower the threshold for using force against prisoners.