A UN report released on Wednesday said Palestinian detainees were subjected to torture and ill-treatment in Israeli custody.
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigating Palestinian detention Investigations conducted between October and the end of June found that those detained were incarcerated without clear cause and were generally held in secret for long periods, ranging from weeks to months, many without trial or charge.
Israeli prison guards frequently raid cells, confiscate personal belongings and deny access to hygiene products, while cells are typically overcrowded, food is restricted and detainees are exposed to the cold.
According to the UN, Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, are also subjected to beatings, threats and humiliation, and are denied legal advice, prayer and access to their families.
Abuses include electric shocks, cigarette burns, sleep deprivation, forced administration of hallucinogens and kneeling on gravel, and there have also been reports of sexual assault, according to the UN report.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said he was concerned about the large numbers of Palestinians facing punishment and ill-treatment in Israeli prisons.
“Testimonies collected by my office and others document a range of horrific acts, including waterboarding and the unleashing of dogs on detainees, that are flagrant violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law,” he said in a statement.
Israeli officials have not responded to the report, but the UN is generally considered biased against Israel.
The UN report also accused Hamas of subjecting hostages taken from Israel to similar abuse and horrific conditions, and called for a ceasefire and agreement between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces to release the hostages.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said it spoke to released Palestinian detainees, witnesses, Israeli and Palestinian officials, human rights groups and other U.N. agencies in preparing the report.
According to the United Nations, Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since its war with Hamas began in October, including women and children and more than 300 medical staff held during raids on hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has been accused of mistreating prisoners, particularly for crimes committed at the Sde Teyman military base, which also served as a prison during the war. The Associated Press and The Washington Post have documented abuses at the facility.
Earlier this week, the Israeli army detained nine of its own soldiers on suspicion of mistreating prisoners. The arrests sparked protests from Israel’s far-right and calls for the soldiers’ release, including from senior government officials. Some protesters even broke into the military base where the soldiers were being held.
The war began on Oct. 7 after Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostages. Of the roughly 116 hostages, 44 are believed to have died and remain in the Gaza Strip, where more than 39,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict.
