The UN human rights office has criticized Israel's handling of detained Palestinians. Some men were released after more than eight weeks of detention wearing only diapers, said office representative Ajith Sunghay. They reported beatings, humiliation and ill-treatment that may have amounted to torture.
The number of those arrested is unclear, he said. The UN Human Rights Office assumes that thousands of Palestinians are or have been detained by Israel. Sunghay spoke to reporters in Geneva today via video conference from the Gaza Strip.
Transparency and clarification required
A freed man told him he was only allowed to shower once in 55 days, Sunghay said. They all said they were blindfolded, sometimes for days. Many said they were taken to Israel. They had no contact with their families or lawyers.
Israel has a duty to treat prisoners with respect, Sunghay said. They should be charged or released. Cases of ill-treatment or torture must be investigated completely and transparently.
Sunghay also referred to the precarious situation of more than a million Palestinians who have been living under a hail of bombs and rockets for weeks, as well as the more than 100 of the approximately 240 hostages that terrorists kidnapped from Israel on October 7 and who have experienced Same thing as the Palestinians.