UN Expert Reports Allegations of Torture and Abuse of Palestinian Detainees in Israeli Prisons

A United Nations expert on Tuesday described allegations of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons since October 2023. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards said emergency measures introduced after the October 7, 2023 attack had exposed detainees to torture, potentially unlawful deaths, incommunicado detention, and degrading conditions.

Edwards gathered information on 52 cases involving various forms of torture or ill-treatment and 33 cases of sexual torture and other forms of sexual abuse, according to a UN statement.

Deaths Reported abuses include severe beatings, stress positions, excessive restraints, electrocution, sleep deprivation, malnutrition and starvation. Autopsies in several cases revealed multiple rib fractures, skin haemorrhages and injuries to internal organs. Edwards expressed concern over reports of at least 94 deaths in custody since October 2023 that had not been investigated.

Edwards called for full, independent and transparent investigations and accountability. She noted that none of the 1,680 complaints filed against Israeli intelligence services had led to indictments. More than 9,000 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli jails, including 2,200 serving sentences.

Edwards said she had also launched a separate review into allegations of torture and other abuses by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other armed groups in Gaza, as well as by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.