OHCHR Exposes Detention Abuses: Human Rights Violations in Gaza

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a thematic report on Wednesday, detailing the detention of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This report, titled “Detention in the context of the escalation of hostilities in Gaza (October 2023-June 2024),” documents severe human rights violations allegedly carried out by Israeli security forces in detention facilities during this period. The findings are based on comprehensive monitoring and data collection efforts by the OHCHR, in collaboration with civil society organizations, NGOs, and governmental entities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The report includes testimonies from former detainees, victims, and witnesses.

Detention Statistics:

• The OHCHR estimates that thousands of Palestinians have been detained since October 7, 2023. This number includes at least 40 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff members.
• The majority of detainees are men and adolescent boys, with significant numbers of women and young girls also detained.
• Data from a Palestinian prisoner’s organization recorded a total of 8,910 detainees between October 7, 2023, and May 28, 2024, including 295 women and 630 children.
• Many detainees were temporarily held and then released without charges.

Nature of Arrests:

• The OHCHR found that the majority of arrests were arbitrary, lacking legal grounds and access to due process, including access to a lawyer.
• There is evidence suggesting that several individuals were detained for exercising fundamental human rights, such as freedom of expression.

Conditions in Detention Facilities:

• The report identifies numerous instances of torture and ill-treatment, including sexual and gender-based violence, under inhumane conditions. These conditions include restricted access to food, water, sanitation, medical treatment, and electricity.
• Military-run detention facilities were highlighted for severe violations of basic human rights standards, with reports of:
  • Open violence and ill-treatment
  • Humiliation of detainees
• Sexual and gender-based violence was reported against both men and women, including:
  • Forced nudity
  • Electrocution of genitals
  • Humiliating strip searches
  • Sexual slurs and threats of rape

Legal Analysis and International Law Violations:

• The OHCHR’s legal analysis suggests serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, potentially constituting war crimes. These violations include:
  • Breaches of the right to life and liberty
  • Acts of torture and ill-treatment
  • Sexual violence
• The report also highlights potential breaches of Article 50 of the Hague Regulations and Articles 27 and 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. This is particularly concerning in light of reports that 15 bodies of deceased Palestinian detainees are currently being withheld by Israeli security forces.
• The report’s release follows a statement by UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards, who earlier this year called on the Israeli government to investigate allegations of torture and inhumane treatment of detained Palestinians since October 7, 2023.