Israeli Authorities Face Criticism for Increased Arbitrary Detention and Torture of Palestinians
Israeli occupation authorities have come under scrutiny for their escalated use of administrative detention and allegations of torture against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Amnesty International recently released a report highlighting the significant rise in arbitrary detention of Palestinian men and women, as well as the extension of emergency measures that facilitate inhuman treatment of prisoners. Furthermore, Israeli authorities have failed to adequately investigate incidents of torture and deaths in custody over the past month.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, since October 7, more than 2,200 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli occupation forces. Israeli human rights organization HaMoked reports that the number of Palestinians held in administrative detention without charge or trial has increased from 1,319 to 2,070 between October 1 and November 1.
The report by Amnesty International includes testimonies from released detainees, human rights lawyers, as well as video footage and images that portray the torture and ill-treatment inflicted upon Palestinian prisoners. These include severe beatings, humiliation, and forcing detainees to endure physical abuse and sing Israeli songs.
Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, expressed concern over the surge in administrative detention, which allows for detainees to be held indefinitely without charge or trial. Morayef stated that prior to the recent escalation in hostilities, Israel already had a high rate of administrative detention.
Amnesty International researchers conducted interviews with released detainees, their relatives, and lawyers involved in recent arrests. They also analyzed video footage and images as evidence. One particularly disturbing image shows three blindfolded and stripped Palestinian men standing alongside a soldier, while the same image was found to be taken in Wadi al-Seeq on October 12. One victim described being beaten by Israeli officers and subjected to degrading treatment, including having his clothes torn off and being urinated upon.
The report also highlights the mistreatment of two women who were arbitrarily detained for 14 hours at a police station in occupied East Jerusalem. They were subjected to humiliation, strip searches, and mockery before being released without any charges.
Multiple videos analyzed by the Crisis Evidence Lab from Amnesty International depict Palestinian detainees, some naked or half-naked, blindfolded, and handcuffed, surrounded by soldiers wearing standard issue Israeli military uniforms, with reports of soldiers physically abusing and mocking the prisoners.
In the last month alone, four Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli detention facilities under circumstances that have not been impartially investigated according to Israeli authorities. Amnesty International emphasizes that under international law, the torture and ill-treatment of protected individuals in occupied territories constitute war crimes. Additionally, the detention of protected individuals outside the occupied territory, as is the case with Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, is a violation of international humanitarian law, amounting to forcible transfer.
Israeli occupation authorities have also subjected thousands of Palestinians with permits to enter Israel, mainly workers from Gaza, to arbitrary detention, where they were held incommunicado for at least three weeks in military detention centers in Israel and the West Bank. The number of those still detained remains unknown due to a lack of transparency from Israeli authorities.
Amnesty International urges Israeli authorities to reverse the emergency measures imposed on Palestinian prisoners and grant them immediate access to their lawyers and families. They also call for the release of all Palestinians arbitrarily detained, along with urging Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to conduct necessary visits and monitor the conditions of Palestinian detainees.
The increased use of arbitrary detention and allegations of torture against Palestinians by Israeli authorities have raised international concern over human rights violations, with calls for accountability and justice for the victims. The situation demands a thorough investigation, transparency, and adherence to international humanitarian law to ensure the protection and dignity of all individuals involved.
