'Severe beatings, starvation, rape threats': UN panel accuses Israel of 'systematic torture' of Palestinians

Israel faced tough questioning at the United Nations on Tuesday (Nov 12) over allegations of torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, with UN experts saying reports point to "systematic and widespread" abuse since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. The hearing took place during Israel's periodic review before the UN Committee Against Torture — a panel of 10 independent experts that monitors countries’ compliance with the Convention Against Torture.

UN "deeply appalled" by Israel's conduct

Peter Vedel Kessing, the committee's rapporteur, said members were "deeply appalled" by numerous "alternative reports" describing how torture and ill treatment of Palestinians, including children, has allegedly become "a deliberate and widespread tool of state policy... from arrest to interrogation to imprisonment."

According to Kessing, evidence presented to the committee, including from UN bodies, Israeli and Palestinian groups, and international NGOs, suggests that since Hamas's Oct 7 attack, the scale of alleged abuse has reached "unprecedented levels". "Many of those detained and subsequently released have reportedly been subject to torture and other ill-treatment," said Kessing. He listed reported methods of torture such as "Severe beatings, including on the genitals; electric shocks; being forced to remain in stress positions in prolonged periods; deliberate inhuman conditions and starvation; waterboarding; and widespread sexual insults and threats of rape". Kessing also stressed that violations by one party cannot justify violations by the other. He said the committee is also aware of Hamas's alleged war crimes and plans to address those in a future session.

Israel subjecting Palestinians to torture? What previous reports show

According to AFP, a July 2024 report by the UN human rights office also accused Israel of detaining Palestinians in secret and subjecting some to treatment that may amount to torture. At the same time, Hamas, too, faced accusations of abusing hostages in Gaza.

Israel dismisses 'disinformation'

Israel's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, dismissed the allegations as "disinformation," particularly on the part of the UN-mandated Commission of Inquiry and Francesca Albanese, the UN's special rapporteur on Palestinian rights. Meron insisted that Israel remains "committed to upholding its obligations in line with our moral values and principles, even in the face of the challenges posed by a terrorist organisation".

The Committee Against Torture’s 83rd session runs until November 28, when it will publish its official findings on Israel on the final day.