The United Nations committee on torture says there is evidence that Israel is operating a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture.
The committee regularly reviews the records of all countries which have signed the convention against torture, taking testimony from their governments and from human rights groups.
During Israel's review, both Israeli and Palestinian rights groups gave harrowing details about conditions in Israeli detention centres. It is alleged that thousands of Palestinians have been detained by Israel since the Hamas attacks of October 7th, 2023.
Under Israel's laws on administrative detention and on Unlawful Combatants – suspects who cannot be classed as prisoners of war – individuals can be held for long periods without access to a lawyer or family members.
Many Palestinian families say they have waited months to even find out that a loved one has been detained, amounting, the UN committee said, to enforced disappearance.
The committee criticized Israel's use of the Unlawful Combatants law to detain groups of Palestinians, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Reported conditions in detention raise grave concerns, with evidence suggesting that Palestinians are regularly deprived of food and water, subjected to beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, waterboarding, and sexual violence. Allegedly, some are even shackled, denied access to toilets, and forced to wear diapers.
The committee concluded that such treatment amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity and constitutes acts of genocide under international law.
Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
One committee member expressed being deeply appalled by the testimonies received. The committee called for independent investigations into the allegations of torture and accountability for those responsible, including senior military officers.
Israel's stance asserts that it adheres to its obligations despite challenges posed by terrorism, labeling the torture allegations as disinformation.
The committee's findings arise amid growing scrutiny of Israel's human rights record, with recent incidents leading to calls for accountability and independent investigations amidst ongoing violence and humanitarian crises in the region.
