A Palestinian man says guards poured water over him before shocking him with a Taser, and the US company that makes them is still supplying Israel

An investigation has found that Israel is using US-made electroshock weapons on Palestinian detainees, and that the American company Axon appears to still be supplying the Taser weapons despite evidence of their use in prisoner abuse. The findings were detailed by The Guardian, which carried out the investigation with the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ).

One Palestinian man interviewed for the investigation alleges that guards poured water over his body before shocking him with a Taser during a spell in detention in 2024. According to the investigation, water can intensify the effects of an electric shock.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said the abuse of detainees is strictly prohibited. Axon and the Israel Prison Service were approached for comment.

The former detainees described being shocked while restrained

Another former detainee, identified under the pseudonym Essa, alleges he was taken to a section of an Israeli prison known as the “Hell Wing” and repeatedly shocked. He was held at Ofer Prison before being released in October 2025.

The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims reportedly said Essa’s injuries suggest he received repeated shocks while in a tightly restrained position. Three other former detainees reportedly shared similar accounts of electric shocks between 2024 and 2025, including at the Sde Teiman detention camp.

In August 2025, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs alleged that detainees at Gilboa prison had been shocked, doused with water in the prison’s shower stalls, and then shocked again. The commission did not state which model of weapon was used.

Despite these concerns, Axon appears to have continued signing contracts with Israeli entities to supply Taser weapons or their accessories. The investigation also said the company presented its latest electroshock models to Israeli security agencies at a conference held in Israel in June 2025.

Electroshock devices have also faced scrutiny in the US, where ICE’s plan to equip officers with electric shock patrol gloves drew pushback from lawmakers in August. Human rights groups have condemned the allegations of repeated torture and ill-treatment of detainees in Israeli detention centers and prisons.

Amnesty International is calling for restrictions on exports of the devices. The group wants them brought under the UN’s Arms Trade Treaty.