US probes Israeli military unit for rights violations against Palestinian detainees: Report

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US State Department is investigating an Israeli military unit regarding the widely reported human rights violations, such as rape and torture, against Palestinian detainees at an Israeli detention center, according to a report on Monday.

Several members of the Israeli military unit, known as "Force 100," are currently on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention camp, Axios reported, citing two US officials and two Israeli officials.

The Sde Teiman facility, referred to by human rights organizations as "the Israeli Guantanamo," has long been under scrutiny for alleged abuses.

In August, Israel’s Channel 12 aired footage showing Israeli soldiers moving a detainee out of surveillance range to commit sexual abuse at the Sde Teiman Prison, located in the Negev desert.

When asked by Anadolu about the incident, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a briefing in August that there must be "zero tolerance" for sexual abuse or rape of detainees and called on Israel to investigate the allegations.

On Monday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel declined to comment in detail on the Axios report, citing the department’s deliberative processes.

"In any country where we have a security relationship, we of course have processes in place to assess and look at things when certain facts are raised or facts are brought to the United States in in all these places. But I what I can say is that I have no news to share or anything to announce in the context of any sort of policy designation with respect to Israel," he said.

The reports emerged as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepares to visit Israel, where Washington is pushing for the resumption of cease-fire talks on Gaza war following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.