August 2, 2024
Photo Credit: UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner
Cited article by UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner
HRRC demands the immediate release of all hostages involved, an end to arbitrary detentions, and thorough investigations into human rights abuses to guarantee justice, accountability, and reparations for all victims and their families.
News Brief
The UN Human Rights Office has released a report detailing the arbitrary, prolonged, and incommunicado detention of thousands of Palestinians by Israeli authorities since October. The report highlights severe allegations of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, including sexual abuse. Furthermore, it documents the detention of medical staff, patients, residents, and captured fighters from Gaza to Israel, often under harsh conditions without legal representation or effective judicial review, leading to the deaths of at least 53 Palestinian detainees since October 7. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk expressed grave concerns over these detentions, citing testimonies of waterboarding, the use of dogs on detainees, and other severe violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
The report also sheds light on the conditions in military-run detention facilities, where detainees, including children, are held in cage-like structures, deprived of basic needs, and subjected to electric shocks, burns, and waterboarding. Additionally, it covers the harsh conditions faced by hostages taken by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, including lack of food, water, and medical care. As such, it further criticizes the Palestinian Authority for similar arbitrary detentions and ill-treatment in the West Bank. Türk calls for the immediate release of all hostages in Gaza, the release of all Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel, and thorough investigations into all serious violations of international law, ensuring accountability and reparations for victims and their families.
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