Nahshon Unit…an Israeli military device that monitors prisons Encyclopedia

The “Nahshon” unit is one of the largest and most powerful Israeli military units. It was established in 1973 and is affiliated with the Prisons Service. It aims to tighten control over Israeli prisons. It is responsible for carrying out operations of oppression and abuse against Palestinian prisoners and detainees, storming and searching their rooms, in addition to accompanying them and transporting them to the courts, prisons and various detention centers via “Al-Bosta” vehicles.

The unit includes soldiers with strong physical structure and high field experience, who have previously served in various combat units within the Israeli occupation army. Its members are known for their combat and technical skills, including the use of various weapons and equipment, in addition to high physical capabilities that qualify them for direct confrontation and engagement.

The unit was previously called “Abim”, an abbreviation of the phrase “Abatahah and Moftzaim”, meaning “operations and protection”, but it was changed in 1993 and became “Nahshon”, which is a phrase that means strength, solidity, severity and cruelty in Hebrew.

Origin and establishment

The Nahshon Unit was established in 1973, and is the operational arm of the Israeli Prison Service. The unit includes highly experienced and qualified soldiers who have previously served in various military units in the Israeli occupation army.

Unit members received training on special methods for dealing with emergency situations inside prisons and detention centers, including hostage-taking operations. Its members are distinguished by combat and technical skills that include the use of various weapons and equipment, in addition to advanced physical combat capabilities for direct confrontation and collision.

The Nahshon Unit works around the clock and has the ability to reach various prisons inside Israel in short periods, and the unit’s members document the operations they carry out. The unit’s teams are stationed approximately 10 miles southeast of Tel Aviv and are in a constant state of readiness to respond.

The unit consists of 10 teams, each team includes 10 officers. All Nahshon officers are accessible through an advanced pager system and a private cellular communications network. The teams use a set of intrusion equipment that enables them to enter any fortified or tightly closed area.

The teams are equipped with various modern weapons and equipment, including bladed weapons, batons, tear gas, rubber bullets, electrical devices that cause physical burns, and weapons that fire incendiary bullets, in addition to types of bullets that cause severe pain.

Tasks

The Nahshon Unit is responsible for monitoring prisoners, carrying out intervention and security tasks, and operating detention rooms in court buildings. It is also responsible for transporting prisoners and carrying out special security tasks related to the authority’s responsibilities.

Its tasks include accompanying prisoners or detainees between different prison facilities, intervening in unusual cases to control order and ensure safety, and participating in extensive inspections inside prisons.

The unit also protects prison service personnel, transports hostile prisoners from abroad, and secures them during court hearings or while they receive medical treatment or family visits.

Nahshon is considered a rapid intervention and protection unit used in various prisons and courts, and its security tasks are carried out by repressive means aimed at imposing control and breaking any protest by the prisoners.

The unit escorts prisoners and detainees daily using a fleet of dedicated operational vehicles, including buses, trucks and motorcycles designed to serve as mobile prisons to transport dangerous and violent prisoners who are likely to attempt to escape during transport.

The researcher specializing in prisoner affairs, Abdel Nasser Farwana, explained that the unit’s tasks go beyond security aspects and target the prisoner himself through oppression, humiliation, and the imposition of a fait accompli policy. He pointed out that its constant documentation of its operations is an “achievement” for it, reflecting its continuous endeavor to develop its capabilities and strengthen its repressive tools.

Crimes and assaults

The Nahshon unit has a history of gross violations of the rights of Palestinian prisoners, classified according to international law as “war crimes.” It is an oppressive unit characterized by excessive violence and practices criminal acts that completely contradict humanitarian principles, without deterrence or accountability.

Prisoner Omar Sawalha from Nablus, who was sentenced to 15 years, reported that he was beaten by members of the unit using batons and various tools. Prisoner Ashraf Samara also stated that he suffered a fracture in his hand after Nahshon members assaulted him during his military trial simply for greeting his brother. Prisoner Shadi Zeid, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, confirmed that the unit used an electrical device against him, causing him burns.

As for prisoner Yasser Hamouli, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, he indicated that he was subjected to stripping, beating, and threats from members of the unit, which led to an injury to his nose and chronic pain without receiving any medical treatment from the Prison Service.

A number of prisoners stated that “Nahshon” used tear gas bombs, sticks, and dogs against them, and attacked them randomly, and its members were also allowed to bring live weapons into the prisons.

The “Commission for Prisoners’ and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs” recorded painful testimonies of children imprisoned in the Israeli “Damoun” prison, who were subjected to beatings and abuse while being transported via “Al-Bosta” vehicles.

The Prisoners’ Information Office also revealed a brutal attack on the prisoner leader, Marwan Barghouthi, in mid-September 2025 while he was being transferred from Raymond prison to Megiddo. Eight members of the unit attacked him, which led to him losing consciousness and breaking 4 of his ribs.

The Commission confirmed that Nahshon’s attacks on minor prisoners have become systematic, and include severe beatings, insults, dragging, obscene insults, and deliberate trampling to knock them to the ground.