“Preventable Crimes Against Humanity: UN Experts Sound Alarm on Israel’s Torture of Palestinian Detainees”
Israel’s escalating use of torture against Palestinians in custody has been condemned by UN experts as a preventable crime against humanity. Reports of alleged torture and sexual violence in Israel’s Sde Teiman prison are just the tip of the iceberg, highlighting a widespread and systemic abuse of Palestinians in detention and arbitrary arrest practices spanning decades.
The experts warn that around 9,500 Palestinians, including hundreds of children and women, are currently imprisoned, with approximately one-third held without charge or trial. Substantiated reports detail widespread abuse, torture, sexual assault, and rape, resulting in at least 53 Palestinian deaths in 10 months.
Testimonies from detainees describe inhumane conditions, including cage-like enclosures, electrocutions, blackmail, and severe sexual and gender-based violence. Allegations of gang-rape of a Palestinian detainee have been shockingly supported by voices in the Israeli political establishment and society.
UN experts have called for pressure on Israel to implement a cogent system of access, monitoring, and protection for Palestinian detainees. The Human Rights Council must urgently demand the deployment of special procedures mandate holders and the Commission of Inquiry to facilities holding Palestinians.
Key Concerns:
- Arbitrary Detention: Thousands of Palestinians detained without charge or trial
- Torture and Abuse: Widespread reports of torture, sexual assault, and rape
- Inhumane Conditions: Detainees held in cage-like enclosures, deprived of adequate healthcare, food, water, and sleep
- Lack of Accountability: Israeli State’s failure to restrain these practices has enabled absolute impunity
Recommended Actions:
- Independent Investigation: International Criminal Court should promptly investigate Israel’s detention practices
- Oversight and Accountability: UN Member States must intervene to prevent further human rights violations
- Protection of Detainees: Deployment of special procedures mandate holders and the Commission of Inquiry to facilities holding Palestinians ¹
:- Source [OHCHR]
