UN expert condemns Israel’s alleged ‘gross disregard’ in treatment of Palestinian detainees

A United Nations independent expert on torture on Tuesday called on Israel to overhaul its detention laws and practices after documenting allegations of torture, sexual violence and other abuses against Palestinian detainees since October 2023.

Alice Jill Edwards, the UN special rapporteur on torture, said emergency measures introduced after the Hamas attack had allegedly exposed detainees to torture, degrading treatment, prolonged incommunicado detention and possible unlawful deaths in custody.

In a communication now made public, Edwards detailed dozens of alleged incidents involving torture, sexual abuse and mistreatment, including claims of severe beatings, electrocution, starvation, denial of medical care and harsh detention conditions. She also raised concerns over deaths in custody and called for independent, transparent investigations and accountability where violations are confirmed.

Edwards said she is also separately examining allegations of abuses by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, other armed groups in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority.