Amnesty International calls on Israel to end 'inhumane' measures against Palestinians in West Bank

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Israeli authorities have dramatically increased their use of administrative detention of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank and failed to investigate incidents of torture and death in custody, rights group Amnesty International said Wednesday.

While the Israeli military’s relentless attacks on Gaza continue, Amnesty International said Palestinian prisoners are subjected to torture, arbitrary detention and other violations of their rights.

"They have also extended a set of ‘emergency’ prison measures giving them unchecked powers to intensify cruel and inhuman treatment of Palestinian detainees and prisoners," it said on X.

It stressed that all Palestinians arbitrarily or unlawfully detained "must be released."

"Amnesty International calls on Israeli authorities to immediately reverse the inhumane emergency measures imposed on Palestinian prisoners and grant them immediate access to their lawyers and families," it added.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Oct. 7 amid an Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip.

At least 163 Palestinians have been killed and 2,250 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Prior to the conflict, the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons was estimated at around 5,200, according to Palestinian figures.