EGN NEWS DESK
GENEVA — The U.N. human rights workplace issued a report Wednesday saying Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities for the reason that Oct. 7 assaults confronted waterboarding, sleep deprivation, electrical shocks, the discharge of canines, and different types of torture and mistreatment.
The report mentioned Israel’s jail service held greater than 9,400 “safety detainees” as of the tip of June, and a few have been held in secret with out entry to legal professionals or respect for his or her authorized rights.
A abstract of the report, primarily based on interviews with former detainees and different sources, decried a “staggering” variety of detainees—together with males, girls, kids, journalists and human rights defenders—and mentioned such practices increase issues about arbitrary detention.
“The testimonies gathered by my workplace and different entities point out a variety of appalling acts, corresponding to waterboarding and the discharge of canines on detainees, amongst different acts, in flagrant violation of worldwide human rights regulation and worldwide humanitarian regulation,” mentioned U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk in an announcement.
Findings within the report, one of the crucial in depth of its variety, may very well be utilized by International Criminal Court prosecutors who’re wanting into crimes dedicated in reference to Hamas’ Oct. 7 assaults and Israel’s blistering ongoing navy marketing campaign in Gaza.
In May, the ICC’s chief prosecutor sought arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas, together with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over battle crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity within the Gaza Strip and Israel.
Authors of the report mentioned its content material was shared with the Israeli authorities. There was no rapid remark from Israeli authorities.
The report additionally mentioned detainees had been taken from Gaza, Israel and the West Bank, and says Israel has not offered info concerning the destiny or whereabouts of many, including that the International Committee of the Red Cross has been denied entry to services the place they’re held.
“Detainees mentioned they had been held in cage-like services, stripped bare for extended intervals, sporting solely diapers. Their testimonies informed of extended blindfolding, deprivation of meals, sleep and water, and being subjected to electrical shocks and being burnt with cigarettes,” a abstract of the report mentioned.
“Some detainees mentioned canines had been launched on them, and others mentioned they had been subjected to waterboarding, or that their arms had been tied they usually had been suspended from the ceiling,” it added. “Some men and women additionally spoke of sexual and gender-based violence.”
The report mentioned the Palestinian Authority, which administers components of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had additionally “continued to hold out arbitrary detention and torture or different ill-treatment within the West Bank, reportedly principally to suppress criticism and political opposition.”
On Wednesday, an Israeli navy court docket prolonged the detention of eight out of 9 troopers detained over what a protection lawyer mentioned had been allegations of sexual abuse of a Palestinian at Sde Teiman—a shadowy facility the place Israel has held prisoners from Gaza through the battle. The troopers’ detention triggered offended protests by supporters demanding their launch.
The battle in Gaza erupted after Hamas’ shock assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 those that day and taking 250 others hostage. Israel’s retaliatory operation has obliterated total neighborhoods in Gaza and compelled some 80% of the inhabitants to flee their properties. Over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed, based on Gaza’s Health Ministry which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its rely.
—Associated Press author Jack Jeffery contributed to this report from Ramallah, West Bank.
