A report issued by the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Detainees' Affairs on Thursday 9th August revealed that a new method of torture is being practiced by Israeli soldiers and interrogators on Palestinian prisoners during their arrest and interrogation.

The Israeli soldiers describe it as 'the torture game', which is used to humiliate prisoners.

The Ministry's report used the example of prisoner Alaa Issa Odeh Awad, 18, who was arrested on the 19th July this year from Beit Ummar village in Hebron.

Lawyer Ibrahim al-Araj said that Awad was arrested at 2pm, after an Israeli patrol raided the village and arrested him while he was celebrating Tawjihi (finishing high school) with his friends.

Al-Araj then described how Awad was transferred to Etzion military center and beaten by soldiers during his transfer. As he reached Etzion prison, the soldiers put him on a pile of stones and gravel and started beating him at the head. One of the soldiers then brought a large stone and threw it on Awad's feet, which made the prisoner suffer injuries and severe pain.

Al-Araj said that the prisoner was then admitted to an interrogation room, where he was severely beaten and subjected to obscene insults and curses. One of the investigators brought a pair of pliers in, claiming he wanted to cut the plastic cuffs off the prisoner's hands, but instead he deliberately cut his flesh and caused him severe pain.