UN special rapporteur says Israel tortures Palestinians in custody

UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese has released a damning report titled 'Torture and genocide' documenting Israel's systematic torture of Palestinians since October 7, 2023.

“A United Nations expert says Israel is systematically torturing Palestinians on a scale “that suggests collective vengeance and destructive intent””

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The abuses are described as occurring on a scale 'that suggests collective vengeance and destructive intent.'

Al Jazeera

The report examines how torture has been used 'on an unprecedented scale as punitive collective vengeance' against Palestinians in Israeli custody.

Albanese gathered written submissions including at least 300 testimonies documenting the widespread abuses.

She unequivocally condemns torture while focusing on Israeli conduct, noting Israel is party to the Convention against Torture.

The report states Israel's detention system has 'descended into a regime of systemic and widespread humiliation, coercion, and terror.'

The findings represent a serious escalation in documented Israeli violations of international law and human rights protections for Palestinian detainees.

The report details horrific methods of torture employed by Israeli authorities against Palestinian detainees.

It describes 'brutal beatings, sexual violence, rape, lethal mistreatment, starvation, and systematic deprivation of basic human conditions.'

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These abuses have 'inflicted profound and lasting scars on the bodies and minds of tens of thousands of Palestinians and their loved ones.'

Albanese found torture has become 'integral to the domination and punishment inflicted on men, women and children.'

It occurs through both 'custodial abuse and through a relentless campaign of forced displacement, mass killings, deprivation and destruction.'

The systematic nature suggests these are not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy of collective punishment.

The torture methods are specifically designed to maximize physical and psychological trauma.

Since October 2023, Palestinian arrests in Israeli-occupied territories have 'escalated dramatically' with over 18,500 people detained.

“A UN expert says that the Israeli regime systematically tortures Palestinians on a scale "that suggests collective vengeance and destructive intent”

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This includes at least 1,500 children, highlighting the targeting of minors in Israeli detention policies.

The report reveals approximately 9,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli detention at any given time.

More than 4,000 have been subjected to enforced disappearance, a grave violation of international human rights law.

Albanese documents how the Israeli detention system has transformed into 'a regime of systemic and widespread humiliation, coercion, and terror.'

The scale and systematic nature of these arrests indicate a deliberate policy of mass detention.

This serves as a tool of collective punishment and intimidation in the ongoing Gaza genocide.

Albanese has issued urgent demands calling for Israel to 'immediately cease all acts of torture and ill-treatment of the Palestinian people as part of its ongoing genocide.'

She urged all countries 'to do everything in their power to stop the destruction of what remains of Palestine.'

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Every delay 'worsens irreversible harm and further entrenches a system of cruelty,' she warned.

The UN expert called for the ICC prosecutor to request arrest warrants for Israeli ministers Israel Katz, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich.

She holds them accountable for their roles in systematic torture and ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

Albanese is scheduled to present her findings to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday.

This brings international attention to severe documented human rights violations in occupied Palestinian territories.

The systematic torture documented in Albanese's report occurs within the broader context of Israel's ongoing Gaza genocide.

“A United Nations expert says Israel is systematically torturing Palestinians on a scale “that suggests collective vengeance and destructive intent””

Al Jazeera

International law and human rights protections have been systematically dismantled during this genocide.

Al Jazeera

The report represents a critical escalation in documentation of Israeli violations.

It establishes patterns of systematic abuse that constitute potential crimes against humanity.

Over 300 testimonies gathered aim to build an evidentiary record for future legal proceedings.

The timing underscores urgent need for international intervention to halt Israel's abuses.

These include 'relentless campaign of forced displacement, mass killings, deprivation and destruction' against Palestinians.