Palestinian prisoners abused by Israel’, says UN report

An internal UN report has described widespread abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention centres, including beatings, dog attacks, the prolonged use of stress positions and sexual assault.

- Julian Borger

The report was compiled by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine ( UNRWA) and is largely based on interviews of Palestinian detainees released at the Kere m Shalom crossing point since December when UNRWA staff provided humanitarian support there.

The report circulated within the UN and seen by the Guardian, said that about 1,000 detainees have been released since December. It estimated that more than 4,000 men, women, and children have been rounded up in Gaza since the start of the war, triggered by Hamas raids in Israel on 7 October in which about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed.

Israel denies the abuse allegations, which it described as Hamas-inspired propaganda. It has named 12 UNRWA staff it says took part in the 7 October attack, and claims that 450 of its 13,000 workers in Gaza are members of Hamas or other militant groups.

The allegations, which are being studied by two separate UN inquiries, have so far not been substantiated. The UNRWA report said that its employees have been detained, many while carrying out aid work, subjected to abuse and put under pressure to smear the agency.

Their Israeli jailers, it alleged, “through beatings and other mistreatment and threats, sought to elicit operational information and forced confessions”.