Israeli human rights organizations accuse the occupation of escalating the systematic torture of Palestinian prisoners
An Israeli human rights report sent to the United Nations Committee against Torture revealed Israel’s escalation of its violations of the International Convention against Torture. In their report, the human rights organizations accused the Israeli occupation authorities of dismantling the legal protection systems for Palestinian detainees. The report was signed by five Israeli human rights organizations: “Adalah,” “The Committee Against Torture,” “Families Against the Detention of Minors,” “The Center for the Defense of the Individual,” and “Physicians for Human Rights.”
The report confirmed that Israel is currently carrying out torture and abuse operations at all stages of detention and among all security forces concerned with the prison, with the approval of high levels and without supervision. Judicial or administrative, with the participation of medical teams.
The report indicated that Israel uses the classification of "unlawful combatants" – Not recognized in international law – to justify the detention of Palestinians for long periods without trial or guarantees of the rights of prisoners of war.
Under this classification, Israel has arrested more than 4,000 Gazans since the beginning of the war. The number of administrative detainees increased from 1,100 before the war to 3,500 detainees last September, with the average duration of administrative detention doubling compared to the pre-war period.
The report detailed systematic torture practices that included beatings with sticks, pouring boiling water that caused serious burns, the use of dogs, and the use of a “disco room.” With loud, painful music, and rape with tools, it also revealed a deliberate starvation policy by providing meals not exceeding a thousand calories and 40 grams of protein per day.
The report stated that the detainees received medical care while their hands were tied and their eyes were blindfolded, and they were forced to use diapers to relieve themselves. The report documented at least 94 deaths in Israeli detention facilities since the beginning of the war, in addition to dozens of cases of permanent health damage. It also indicated the spread of scabies among thousands of prisoners as a result of denying medical care as a method of torture. He criticized the Israeli Supreme Court for approving this situation by rejecting 18 out of 20 petitions submitted against the conditions of detention.
The court issued a decision to close the “Sde Teman” detention center. In one case, it partially approved a petition against the starvation policy 17 months after it was submitted.
The report confirmed that the fate of hundreds of Gazan detainees is still unknown, and that Palestinian prisoners are held in solitary confinement cells and prevented from meeting their lawyers, Red Cross representatives, journalists, or their families.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Related
