UN report says Palestinian detainees taken by Israeli authorities faced torture and mistreatment
The UN human rights office published a report on Wednesday saying that Palestinian prisoners detained by Israeli authorities since the October 7 attacks have been subjected to waterboarding, sleep deprivation, electric shocks and other forms of torture and ill-treatment.
GENEVA — The UN Human Rights Office published a report on Wednesday saying that Palestinian prisoners detained by Israeli authorities since the October 7 attacks have been subjected to waterboarding, sleep deprivation, electric shocks and other forms of torture and ill-treatment.
The detention report found that the Israel Prison Service was holding more than 9,400 âsecurity prisonersâ as of late June, some of whom were being held secretly without access to lawyers or respect for their legal rights.
A summary of the report, based on interviews with former detainees and other sources, complains of a âstaggeringâ number of detainees â including men, women, children, journalists and human rights defenders â and says such practices raise concerns about arbitrary detention.
âThe testimonies collected by my office and other agencies point to a series of horrific acts, such as waterboarding and the release of dogs on detainees, among other acts, that constitute a flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,â UN human rights chief Volker TĂŒrk said in a statement.
The findings in the report, one of the most comprehensive of its kind, could be used by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court investigating crimes committed in connection with the October 7 attacks and its aftermath, including Israel’s devastating military campaign currently underway in Gaza.
Authors of the report said its contents were shared with the Israeli government. The Associated Press has contacted Israel’s diplomatic mission for comment.
The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas ‘ surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people that day and taking 250 hostage. Israel’s retaliation has wiped out entire neighborhoods in Gaza and forced some 80 percent of the population to flee their homes. The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed, making no distinction between civilians and fighters.