A United Nations expert has accused Israel of systematically torturing Palestinians in detention on a scale “suggestive of collective vengeance and destructive intent.”
In a report released on Friday, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, detailed widespread physical and psychological abuse of Palestinians in custody since 7 October, 2023.
Titled “Torture and Genocide,” the report highlights what Albanese described as unprecedented use of torture against Palestinians as a form of punitive collective punishment.
According to the findings, detainees have been subjected to “brutal beatings, sexual violence, rape, lethal mistreatment, starvation, and deprivation of basic living conditions,” leaving enduring physical and mental scars on tens of thousands of individuals and their families, according to report from Al Jazeera.
The report states that torture has become an integral tool for asserting domination over men, women, and children, coupled with forced displacement, mass killings, and destruction of livelihoods, contributing to long-term collective suffering.
Albanese said her findings are based on over 300 written testimonies collected from victims and witnesses.
While the expert condemned torture by all parties, including Palestinian armed groups, the focus of this report remains on Israeli conduct.
Israel is a signatory to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Since October 2023, arrests in the occupied territories have surged, with over 18,500 Palestinians detained, including at least 1,500 children.
Approximately 9,000 remain in detention, while more than 4,000 have reportedly faced enforced disappearance. Albanese warned that Israel’s detention system has evolved into “a regime of systemic humiliation, coercion, and terror.”
She called on Israel to immediately halt all acts of torture and urged the international community to intervene to prevent further destruction in Palestine, stressing that delays only deepen irreversible harm.
The expert also recommended that the International Criminal Court (ICC) seek arrest warrants against Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Albanese is scheduled to present her report to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday. While special rapporteurs are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, they operate independently and do not speak on behalf of the UN itself.
Her accusations have drawn criticism from Israel and some allies, who have accused her of pursuing a “hate-driven agenda to delegitimize Israel.” Last month, France and Germany called for her resignation over remarks she made at an Al Jazeera forum in Doha.
UN Watch circulated an edited clip alleging Albanese had labeled Israel “the common enemy of humanity,” but her actual words stressed the importance of protecting fundamental freedoms, “We now see that we as a humanity have a common enemy, and the respect of fundamental freedoms is the last peaceful avenue… to regain our freedom.”
This report adds to growing international scrutiny of Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories and could have significant legal and diplomatic repercussions.
