UN urges investigation on rights violations against Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN urged a comprehensive investigation and accountability Wednesday on reports about a systematic policy of torture and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

Asked about a recent report by the Israeli rights group, B'Tselem, that detailed the severe and systematic human rights violations against Palestinians in Israeli prisons, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said at a news conference that "all of these allegations of violations of basic human rights norms must be thoroughly investigated and there should be accountability."

"We also believe that whenever human rights norms are violated to this extent, there needs to be follow up. Our human rights colleagues dealing with Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory will continue to follow up on all of these allegations," said Haq.

The report gathered testimonies from 55 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons that confirmed the ill-treatment they received during detention.

The rights group counted several acts by prison wardens including "arbitrary violence, sexual assault, humiliation and degradation, deliberate starvation, sleep deprivation ... and the denial of adequate medical treatment."

Regarding the situation in the West Bank, Haq cited the latest report by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "The killing and displacement of Palestinians and the demolition of their homes and the destruction of the public infrastructure they rely on continue unabated," he said.

At least 16 Palestinians, including two children, were killed by Israel, between July 30 and Aug. 5, according to OCHA.

"During that same period, Israeli settlers also perpetrated more than two dozen attacks against Palestinians, causing injuries and damage to property," Haq added.

Asked about possible UN plans to evacuate staff from Lebanon, Haq said: "We have not been moving our national and international staff. There's been no decision to suspend UN operations in Lebanon. As part of our regular administrative procedures, the presence in the country of family members of personnel will be temporarily reduced and that is happening now."

Tensions are running high in the Middle East following the July 31 assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran and Israel's assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in a southern suburb of Beirut.

Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination, while Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied its responsibility. Iran vowed a "harsh punishment" for Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Haniyeh on its soil.

The Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah, is also expected to retaliate after Israel assassinated Shukr in an airstrike July 30.

The escalation comes amid an ongoing Israeli offensive against Gaza which has killed nearly 39,600 Palestinians following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct. 7 that killed 1,139 Israelis.

*Ahmed Asmar in Ankara contributed to this story