The United Nations committee on torture says there is evidence that Israel is operating a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture.
The committee regularly reviews the records of all countries which have signed the convention against torture, taking testimony from their governments, and from human rights groups.
During Israel's review both Israeli and Palestinian rights groups gave harrowing details about conditions in Israeli detention centres. It is alleged that thousands of Palestinians have been detained by Israel since the Hamas attacks of October 7th 2023.
Under Israel's laws on administrative detention and on Unlawful Combatants – suspects who cannot be classed as prisoner of war - they can be held for long periods without access to a lawyer or family members.
Many Palestinian families say they have waited months to even find out that a loved one has been detained, amounting, the UN committee said, to enforced disappearance.
The committee was particularly critical of Israel's reported use of the Unlawful Combatants law to detain whole groups of Palestinians, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
But it is the reported conditions in detention that make the grimmest reading in the committee's conclusions, published today.
Palestinians, the evidence suggests, are regularly deprived of food and water, and subjected to severe beatings, attacks by dogs, electrocution, water boarding, and sexual violence. Some are allegedly permanently shackled, denied access to a toilet, and forced to wear diapers.
The committee concluded that such treatment amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity. It said evidence of a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture by Israel was one of the acts which constitute the crime of genocide under international law.
Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations that it is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
One committee member, Peter Vedel Kessing of Denmark, said he and his colleagues were deeply appalled by what they heard. They called on Israel to launch independent investigations to ensure those responsible, including senior military officers, are held accountable.
Israel did not comment publicly on the findings today but its ambassador described the allegations of torture as disinformation. He asserted that Israel is committed to its obligations under international standards even when faced with acts of terrorism.
The committee acknowledged the security challenges faced by Israel but stressed that violations of international law by one party cannot justify similar actions by another.
The findings come amidst rising scrutiny of Israel's human rights record as international bodies continue to call for accountability and adherence to humanitarian standards.
