UN Special Rapporteur Accuses Israel of Torture in Detention Centers

(MENAFN) The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation in Palestine, Francesca Albanese, said on Saturday that Israel is using torture against Palestinian detainees in its detention facilities, as well as against Palestinians more broadly in the occupied territories, according to reports.

Her comments followed a New York Times investigation by Nicholas Kristof, which stated that torture and sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners have become systematic within Israeli custody.

Albanese also presented a report titled Torture and Genocide, prepared for the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council. The report assesses human rights conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967, with a particular focus on developments following October 7, 2023.

According to the report, torture has long played a central role in the dispossession of Palestinians. It further claims that since October 2023, the scale of alleged abuse indicates collective retaliation and intentional destruction, and that the increase in reported torture within detention centers reflects a coordinated policy.

The report also references Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, stating that he instructed that Palestinian prisoners labeled as terrorists be kept handcuffed in dark cells and subjected continuously to the Israeli national anthem.

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