Israeli Forces Use US Tasers on Palestinian Detainees, Report Finds

An investigation has found that Israeli forces are using American-made electroshock weapons on Palestinian detainees, and that the US manufacturer, Axon, continues to supply the devices despite evidence they have been used in abuse, according to reporting compiled by the Guardian.

Human rights groups have condemned allegations of repeated torture and ill-treatment of detainees held in Israeli detention centers and prisons using electric shock devices, the Guardian reported. Amnesty International has called for restrictions on exports of such devices.

What does the investigation allege about Taser use in Israeli custody?

The investigation, summarized in the Guardian's First Thing newsletter, ties the electroshock devices used on Palestinian detainees to Axon, the American company that manufactures Taser weapons. The report describes a pattern of allegations involving repeated torture and ill-treatment inside Israeli detention centers and prisons, with electric shock devices identified as part of that pattern, according to the Guardian.

The newsletter does not detail individual cases, locations, or the number of detainees affected in the material reviewed by HTT News. The scope of the underlying investigation, including how many facilities or detainees were examined, was not specified in the available reporting.

Why is Axon still supplying the weapons?

The Guardian's account states plainly that Axon is still supplying the Taser weapons despite evidence they have been used to torture prisoners. The available reporting does not include a statement from Axon responding to the findings, and HTT News could not independently verify the company's current contractual relationship with Israeli authorities beyond what the Guardian reported.

What is Amnesty International asking for?

Amnesty International is calling for restrictions on exports of electroshock devices to Israel, according to the Guardian. The organization's position, as relayed in the newsletter, is part of a broader set of condemnations from human rights groups over the alleged use of the devices in detention settings. The specific regulatory mechanism Amnesty is seeking, whether through US export licensing, congressional action, or another channel, was not detailed in the source material.

How has the Israeli military responded?

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said the abuse of detainees was strictly prohibited, according to the Guardian's reporting.

"The abuse of detainees was strictly prohibited."

The IDF did not address the specific allegations involving electroshock devices in the statement relayed by the Guardian, and no further elaboration from military officials was included in the available material.

What other incidents surfaced in the same report?

The Guardian's newsletter tied the Taser findings to a broader set of developments in Israel and the occupied West Bank published the same day. Israeli forces detained roughly 80 American, Israeli and British volunteers near Nahalin, close to Bethlehem, while they were helping Palestinians harvest olives, the Guardian reported. Those detained included New York Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander, several rabbis, and Israel's former deputy attorney general, according to the newsletter. Soldiers said the area had been declared a closed military zone, the Guardian reported.

Separately, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine described being saved by local Palestinians after she was attacked and seriously injured by Israeli settlers, according to the Guardian. Witnesses said the beating stopped only after young men used slingshots to drive the settlers back, the newsletter reported.

The Guardian also reported that the US State Department ordered some diplomats and the families of US government employees to leave Saudi Arabia, citing near-daily attacks from Yemen's Houthi movement, though that development was reported as a distinct, unrelated item in the same morning briefing.

Taken together, the items reflect a single day's worth of reporting from the region rather than a unified investigation, and the Guardian's newsletter format means each item traces back to separate underlying stories not fully detailed in the material reviewed by HTT News. Readers seeking the full scope of the Taser investigation, including methodology and additional documentation, should consult the Guardian's original reporting linked above.

No timeline for any US regulatory review of Axon's export arrangements, and no response from Axon itself, was included in the material available for this report.

Artiglio is A coming-soon iPhone chief of staff for briefings and drafts. Not on the App Store yet.