dpa
Geneva
At least 10,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are being held in Israeli custody "under deplorable conditions,” the UN Human Rights Office said.
A report released on Wednesday outlined allegations of torture and degrading treatment of detainees, including the sexual abuse of women and men. At least 53 Palestinians are known to have died in Israeli military facilities and prisons over past nine months, the office said. The report covers the period since October 7, when terrorists from the Gaza Strip attacked southern Israel, killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 to the Gaza Strip.
Regarding the Israeli treatment of Palestinians, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said: "The testimonies gathered by my office and other entities indicate a range of appalling acts, such as waterboarding and the release of dogs on detainees, amongst other acts, in flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.” Most Palestinians transferred to Israel were "usually shackled and blindfolded,” the report said. Most of those in custody were men and teenagers, but also some women.
They are being held without charge and without contact to lawyers.
Palestinians have reported being held in cage-like crates, being naked for long periods and having to wear diapers. They said they were deprived of food and water and prevented from sleeping. Some reported electric shock, cigarette burns and sexual violence.
Israel has yet to comment on the report.
The report, titled "Detention in the context of the escalation of hostilities in Gaza,” also criticized the Palestinian Authority (PA) for "continuing to carry out arbitrary detention and torture or other ill-treatment.”