Israel accused of ‘de facto state policy of torture‘ in UN report
Israel has “a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture”, according to a UN report covering the past two years, which also raised concerns about the impunity of Israeli security forces for war crimes.
The UN committee on torture expressed “deep concern over allegations of repeated severe beatings,dog attacks,electrocution,waterboarding,use of prolonged stress positions [and] sexual violence”.
The report, published on Friday as part of the committee’s regular monitoring of countries that have signed the UN convention against torture, also said palestinian detainees were humiliated by “being made to act like animals or being urinated on”, were systematically denied medical care and subject to excessive use of restraints, “in certain specific cases resulting in amputation”.
The UN committee of 10 independent experts raised concern about the wholesale use of Israel’s unlawful combatants law to justify the prolonged detention without trial of thousands of Palestinian men, women and children. The latest figures published by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said that as of the end of September the Israel Prison Service was holding 3,474 Palestinians in “administrative detention”, meaning without trial.
Related: ‘Cruellest forms of torture’: freed Palestinians describe horrors of Israeli jail
The new UN report, covering a two-year period since the beginning of the Gaza war on 7 October 2023, draws attention to the “high proportion of children who are currently detained without charge or on remand”, noting the age of criminal duty imposed by Israel is 12, and that children younger than 12 have also been detained.Children categorised as security prisoners, the report says
The Human Cost of israel’s Assault on Rafah
The scenes emerging from Rafah are harrowing. images of displaced Palestinians, their faces etched with fear and desperation, flood social media and news outlets. tents ablaze,families fleeing with what little possessions they have left,and the constant thrum of drones overhead – this is the reality for over a million people who had sought refuge in what was once considered a “safe zone.”
Israel’s military operation in Rafah, ostensibly aimed at dismantling Hamas, is rapidly turning into a humanitarian catastrophe.The city, crammed with civilians, many of whom have been displaced multiple times throughout the conflict, is now facing a new wave of displacement. The scale of the exodus is staggering, with reports indicating hundreds of thousands have already fled, overwhelming already strained resources in nearby Khan Younis and other areas.
The international community has voiced growing alarm, with warnings of a potential for widespread famine and disease. Aid organizations are struggling to deliver essential supplies,hampered by ongoing fighting and restricted access. The closure of the Rafah crossing,a vital lifeline for humanitarian aid entering Gaza,has exacerbated the crisis.
beyond the immediate physical dangers, the psychological toll on the population is immense. Children are witnessing unspeakable horrors, and the trauma will undoubtedly leave lasting scars. The destruction of homes and infrastructure further erodes any semblance of normalcy, leaving families with little hope for the future.
while Israel insists it is taking steps to minimize civilian casualties, the reality on the ground paints a different picture. The sheer density of the population in Rafah, coupled with the intensity of the military operation, makes it virtually impossible to avoid harming civilians.
The situation in Rafah is a stark reminder of the devastating human cost of this conflict. It underscores the urgent need for a ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and a renewed commitment to finding a lasting political solution. The world cannot stand by and watch as another generation of Palestinians is traumatized and displaced.
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