UN Accuses Israel of ‘State Policy’ of Torture Against Palestinians
A United Nations report has accused Israel of maintaining a “de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture” against Palestinian detainees, documenting severe abuses and a lack of accountability for possible war crimes.
Key Findings
- UN reports “widespread torture” including beatings, electrocution, and sexual violence
- 75 Palestinian deaths in custody since October 2023
- 3,474 Palestinians held without trial
- Children as young as 12 detained without charge
Patterns of Abuse and Ill-Treatment
The UN Committee Against Torture expressed deep concern over allegations of “repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, waterboarding, use of prolonged stress positions and sexual violence.”
Detainees were reportedly forced to act like animals, urinated on, denied medical care, and subjected to heavy restraints that “in some cases resulted in amputation.”
Widespread Detention Without Trial
The report highlighted Israel’s use of the unlawful combatants law, which permits lengthy detention without trial. According to Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, 3,474 Palestinians were being held without trial as of September.
A “high proportion of children” are currently detained without charge, with some under 12 years old being held. Children classified as security prisoners face strict limits on family contact, can be held in solitary confinement, and receive no education.
Lack of Accountability
The committee recorded 75 Palestinian deaths in custody since the Gaza war began in October 2023, calling the number “abnormally high.” No officials have been held responsible for these deaths.
While Israel denied using torture and claimed conditions were monitored adequately, the UN noted that the inspector responsible for examining interrogation complaints had brought “no criminal prosecutions for acts of torture and ill-treatment” in the past two years.
Israel pointed to only one conviction for torture during this period—a soldier sentenced to seven months for attacking bound and blindfolded detainees from Gaza. The committee said this sentence “appears not to reflect the severity of the offence.”
Jenin Shooting Incident
The report’s release coincided with three Israeli border police officers being questioned and released over the fatal shooting of two detained Palestinians in Jenin.
Video footage shows Youssef Asasa and Mahmoud Abdallah crawling from a building with hands raised before an officer kicks them and signals them back inside. Seconds later, they were shot at close range.
Israeli media reported officers claimed they “felt an immediate and tangible threat,” alleging the men refused to strip and tried to return to the building. However, the video—whose authenticity Israeli authorities haven’t disputed—shows no clear resistance.
The officers were released on condition they not discuss the case with others.
