Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities faced torture, mistreatment: U.N. report

U.N. report details torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli authorities following October 7 attacks.

The U.N. human rights office issued a report on July 31 saying Palestinian detainees taken by Israeli authorities since the October 7 attacks have faced waterboarding, sleep deprivation, electric shocks, the release of dogs, and other forms of torture and mistreatment.

The report on detention says Israel’s prison service held more than 9,400 “security detainees” as of the end of June, and some have been held in secret without access to lawyers or respect for their legal rights.

A summary of the report, based on interviews with former detainees and other sources, decries a “staggering” number of detainees — including men, women, children, journalists and human rights defenders — and said such practices raise concerns about arbitrary detention.

“The testimonies gathered by my office and other entities indicate a range of appalling acts, such as waterboarding and the release of dogs on detainees, amongst other acts, in flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” said U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk in a statement.

Findings in the report, one of the most extensive of its kind, could be used by International Criminal Court prosecutors who are looking into crimes committed in connection with the October 7 attacks and their aftermath, including Israel’s blistering military campaign that is ongoing in Gaza.

Authors of the report said its content was shared with the Israeli government.

The report says detainees were taken in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank, and says Israel has not provided information regarding the fate or whereabouts of many, adding that the International Committee of the Red Cross has been denied access to facilities where they are held.