The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has reported that 2,650 Palestinians taken from Gaza since October are still in Israeli custody, facing severe physical and psychological torture. The prisoners have been subjected to abuse, threats of rape, death, and bombing, and have been deprived of basic necessities like food, water, and sleep. The group also highlighted similarities between the atrocities in Israeli detention facilities and those documented in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Club has identified 22 Palestinians who died as a result of torture or medical negligence. Al Mezan has called for accountability for these abuses, stating that the targeting of Palestinians in Gaza could be considered a crime of genocide.
The findings of Al Mezan are consistent with reports from the United Nations and other rights groups who have condemned the widespread abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody. A recent report from the UN detailed instances of torture and mistreatment, including sexual and gender-based violence. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem also presented testimonies of Palestinians who had been subjected to severe violence, sexual assault, starvation, and humiliation in Israeli prisons. B’Tselem reported that at least 60 Palestinians have died in custody since October 7, with about 48 of them being from Gaza.
Al Mezan is calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate individuals responsible for these crimes, as it believes that a probe within Israel is not possible due to the support that state systems, including the judiciary, provide to these alleged torture camps. The international community is urged to take action to address the ongoing abuses and violations of human rights in Israeli detention facilities.
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