Israel has subjected Palestinian detainees to arbitrary violence, sexual assault, conducting systematic prisoner abuse and torture for the reason that begin of its struggle on Gaza, a report by Jerusalem-based rights group B’Tselem has revealed.
It stated the report, issued on Monday, was based mostly on interviews with 55 Palestinians from Gaza, the West Bank and Israel detained in Israeli prisons for the reason that Oct. 7 Hamas incursion that triggered the struggle, most of them with out being tried.
“The testimonies clearly indicate a systematic, institutional policy focused on the continual abuse and torture of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel,” the report stated.
The Israeli army, which runs some detention services the place Palestinian prisoners have been held, stated that it operated based on the rule of legislation and any particular claims of abuse have been investigated.
“The IDF categorically rejects allegations of systematic abuse, including sexual abuse, in its detention facilities,” it stated, including that monitoring mechanisms have been in place to make sure services have been run in accordance with the legislation.
A spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service claimed that every one prisoners have been handled based on the legislation and all primary rights have been absolutely utilized by professionally skilled guards.
“We are not aware of the claims you described and as far as we know, no such events have occurred under IPS responsibility,” the spokesperson stated, including that detainees had the precise to file complaints that may be absolutely examined and investigated.
The B’Tselem report was issued days after the Israeli army detained 9 troopers accused of extreme abuse of a prisoner in a army facility within the Negev desert. Israeli press experiences stated the troopers have been accused of sexually abusing a Hamas member.
The report detailed allegations that Palestinian prisoners have been subjected to arbitrary beatings, degrading and humiliating remedy and sleep deprivation, in addition to “the repeated use of sexual violence, in varying degrees of severity.”
“The overall picture indicates abuse and torture carried out under orders, in utter defiance of Israel’s obligations both under domestic law and international law,” it stated.
‘Utter humiliation’
Fathiyeh Abu Mousa stated the remedy she acquired was routinely humiliating and that she was held in handcuffs and chains whilst she was being launched from detention in July with out expenses being laid.
“The food is very bad and they give it to us in a humiliating manner,” she advised Reuters. “They gave us two meals a day, no clothes or shampoo to bathe or shower. My face flared up with a rash from the mattress. It was utter humiliation there.”
Allegations of prisoner abuse have surfaced repeatedly in the course of the Gaza struggle, including to mounting worldwide stress on Israel over its conduct in the course of the 10-month-old battle.
The report from B’Tselem, a gaggle that paperwork human rights violations by Israel within the occupied West Bank and different areas, stated the remedy accorded to prisoners was a deliberate coverage carried out underneath the path of the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The jail service spokesperson stated that for the reason that Oct. 7 assault, Ben-Gvir had ordered that jail circumstances be made extra strict to reverse an enchancment in circumstances allowed beforehand.
Qadura Fares, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs, reiterated a name for a world fee of inquiry into the remedy of prisoners to carry Israel accountable.
“We have documentation of the crimes committed by Israel against Palestinian detainees in its prisons and we have horrific testimonies of what detainees are subjected to, whether related to torture, rape and other crimes,” he stated.
Source: www.dailysabah.com