The United Nations Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, expressed deep concern over the alarming number of individuals detained in Gaza since October 7th, highlighting the lack of due process and reports of ill-treatment and torture. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report detailing the treatment of detainees, including medical staff, patients, and captured fighters.
The report revealed that many detainees, including staff from the UN agency UNRWA, were taken into custody while seeking shelter in schools, hospitals, or residential buildings during the conflict. Men and adolescent boys were primarily targeted for detention, but women and girls, including an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease, were also held without any apparent connection to armed groups.
According to the report, at least 53 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli military facilities and prisons since October 7th. Family members of the detainees have been left in the dark about the fate and well-being of their loved ones, with many not knowing if they are alive or dead.
The testimonies gathered by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights revealed shocking acts of abuse, including waterboarding and the release of dogs on detainees, in clear violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The report also highlighted instances where detainees were forced by IDF soldiers to enter tunnels and buildings in Gaza ahead of soldiers, putting them in harm’s way.
Many of the released detainees claimed to have been interrogated without legal representation about the locations of tunnels and hostages, despite appearing to be civilians. The report emphasized the arbitrary nature of the arrests and detention, raising serious concerns about the punitive motives behind these actions.
The OHCHR dossier was compiled through interviews with released Palestinian detainees and monitoring conducted by the OHCHR office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The report shed light on the experiences of detainees, who were often taken into custody in deplorable conditions and subjected to ill-treatment and torture.
The development comes amid escalating tensions in the region following Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel, which sparked the war. The Israeli military has been accused of detaining individuals en masse for screening and violating their due process rights.
In response to the report, the Israeli authorities announced new measures to address the concerns raised by the UN Human Rights Chief and other entities. However, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely and call for accountability for human rights violations in Gaza and the wider region.
Overall, the report paints a grim picture of the human rights situation in Gaza, with detainees facing arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment, and violations of their due process rights. The UN Human Rights Chief urged all parties to respect international human rights law and humanitarian law, calling for an end to the punitive nature of arrests and detention in the region.
