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GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. quality authorities office issued a study Wednesday saying Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities since nan Oct. 7 attacks faced waterboarding, slumber deprivation, electrical shocks, nan merchandise of dogs, and different forms of torture and mistreatment.
The study said Israel’s situation work held much than 9,400 “security detainees” arsenic of nan extremity of June, and immoderate person been held successful concealed without entree to lawyers aliases respect for their ineligible rights.
A summary of nan report, based connected interviews pinch erstwhile detainees and different sources, decried a “staggering” number of detainees — including men, women, children, journalists and quality authorities defenders — and said specified practices raise concerns astir arbitrary detention.
“The testimonies gathered by my agency and different entities bespeak a scope of appalling acts, specified arsenic waterboarding and nan merchandise of dogs connected detainees, amongst different acts, successful flagrant usurpation of world quality authorities rule and world humanitarian law,” said U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk successful a statement.
Findings successful nan report, 1 of nan astir extended of its kind, could beryllium utilized by International Criminal Court prosecutors who are looking into crimes committed successful relationship pinch Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and Israel’s blistering ongoing subject run successful Gaza.
In May, nan ICC’s main charismatic sought apprehension warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu complete war crimes and crimes against humanity successful nan Gaza Strip and Israel.
Authors of nan study said its contented was shared pinch nan Israeli government. Israeli authorities did not instantly reply to The Associated Press’ petition for remark astir nan report.
Israel’s situation authorities antecedently told nan AP that each Palestinian prisoners are treated according to Israeli law. However, Israel’s Ministry of National Security, nan assemblage successful complaint of prisons, says it has actively made conditions worse and purposefully overcrowded cells for Palestinians held connected information charges since nan warfare collapsed retired arsenic a argumentation of deterrence.
The ministry is headed by ultranationalist curate Itamar Ben Gvir, who has agelong called for harsher punishment, including nan decease penalty, for Palestinians held connected panic charges.
The study besides said detainees were taken from Gaza, Israel and nan West Bank, and says Israel has not provided accusation regarding nan destiny aliases whereabouts of many, adding that nan International Committee of nan Red Cross has been denied entree to accommodation wherever they are held.
“Detainees said they were held successful cage-like facilities, stripped naked for prolonged periods, wearing only diapers. Their testimonies told of prolonged blindfolding, deprivation of food, slumber and water, and being subjected to electrical shocks and being burnt pinch cigarettes,” a summary of nan study said.
“Some detainees said dogs were released connected them, and others said they were subjected to waterboarding, aliases that their hands were tied and they were suspended from nan ceiling,” it added. “Some women and men besides said of intersexual and gender-based violence.”
The study said nan Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of nan Israeli-occupied West Bank, had besides “continued to transportation retired arbitrary detention and torture aliases different ill-treatment successful nan West Bank, reportedly principally to suppress disapproval and governmental opposition.”
On Wednesday, an Israeli subject tribunal extended nan detention of 8 retired of 9 soldiers detained complete what a defense lawyer said were allegations of intersexual maltreatment of a Palestinian astatine Sde Teiman — a shadowy installation wherever Israel has held prisoners from Gaza during nan war. The soldiers’ detention triggered angry protests by supporters demanding their release.
The warfare successful Gaza erupted aft Hamas ’ astonishment onslaught connected confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 group that time and taking 250 others hostage. Israel’s retaliatory cognition has obliterated full neighborhoods successful Gaza and forced immoderate 80% of nan organization to fly their homes. Over 39,000 Palestinians person been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry which doesn’t separate betwixt civilians and combatants successful its count.
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Associated Press writer Jack Jeffery contributed to this study from Ramallah, West Bank.