Arab League calls for international probe into torture of Gaza detainees in Israeli prison

The Arab League called Sunday for an independent international investigation into the torture and systematic abuse of Palestinians from Gaza held in Israel’s Ramla Prison, demanding accountability for those responsible. In a statement, the league condemned the repeated assaults of prisoners in the facility’s Rakevet wing, saying they had left detainees with injuries and burns. It described the practices as violations of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Convention against Torture, and said they constituted “crimes against humanity” requiring accountability.

The league demanded an immediate end to the abuse and urged Israel to allow unrestricted access for the International Committee of the Red Cross and independent monitors to document conditions and provide medical care. It also called for the immediate release of sick and wounded prisoners and an end to arbitrary detention. The statement followed an Oct. 27 report by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office detailing recurring assaults against Gaza detainees in the Rakevet wing.

The office said the assaults took place on Fridays and Saturdays and involved beatings with batons, pepper spray, gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. It also reported that guards entered a cell with police dogs and took detainees to a room without surveillance cameras, where they were assaulted. The office warned that continued abuse endangered prisoners’ lives, particularly those already ill or injured. The Arab League urged the international community, the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly to act to protect Palestinian prisoners and end impunity.

There was no immediate Israeli response to the statement. Ramla Prison is in central Israel and is administered by the Israel Prison Service.