Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
29 July 2024 | 14:00 CAT
3 min read

Human Rights Watch (HRW) report reveals severe human rights abuses by Israeli forces, including the degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees, which the organisation classifies as war crimes. These violations involve the public dissemination of images and videos showing detainees, including children, stripped and humiliated. Despite some public denunciations by Israeli military officials, there has been a lack of substantial governmental action to address or prosecute these abuses.

Milena Ansari, Israel and Palestine Assistant Researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlighted alarming statistics from Palestinian human rights organisations, revealing that over 9,000 Palestinians are currently detained or imprisoned in Israeli custody. This includes hundreds of children and dozens of women, with 3,000 individuals held without charges or trial for indefinite periods. Since October 7, the International Committee for the Red Cross has been prohibited from conducting its regular, mandated monitoring of conditions in Israeli prisons and detention centres, raising serious concerns about the situation inside these facilities.

“We investigated 37 videos and photos, which is a small number from what exists online. These involve Palestinian detainees being stripped, some even completely naked, then filmed and photographed while being captured, which amounts to a war crime according to international humanitarian law, as it is considered sexual violence,” she said.

According to Ansari, HRW has yet to see actual denunciations from Israeli officials regarding the general treatment of Palestinian prisoners or detainees. “We are talking about Palestinians being detained from Gaza or the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in Israel in detention centres, which also amounts to forceable transfers because, as an occupied people, they cannot be detained inside the territory of the occupying power,” she added.

Ansari pointed out that there is a lack of communication with detainees but emphasised that upon their release, there are clear signs of abuse and violence against them.

“Many of them come out from Israeli custody having lost 10 -20 kg of weight and report severe lack of food and water in addition to many reports by even many Israeli human rights organisations and media that talk about medical neglect inside detention where some have to undergo amputation of their limbs due to infection or prolonged cuffing and abuse. Sadly, the Israelis have systematically used torture and ill-treatment during interrogation without any impunity,” she said.

Ansari stressed that there is a clear blind eye to the situation in detention centers, and many Israeli ministers have been implementing impunity measures against Palestinian prisoners and detainees, seemingly as a form of retaliation against Palestinians in custody.

She emphasised that the impunity granted to Israel perpetuates this situation. “Countries like the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom continue to provide military and political assistance, giving Israel the green light to continue abusing international humanitarian law, conducting hostilities in Gaza without accountability or questioning,” she said.

Ansari said that there is a “literal black hole” with regard to the detention of Palestinians in Military bases or Israeli detention facilities and prisons.

She highlighted the use of administrative detention inflicts psychological ill-treatment on individuals and their families, leaving detainees in a state of uncertainty and serving as a form of collective punishment. “Family members don’t even know whether their loved ones are alive or detained or will they even return from detention alive. There is no clarity on the deaths of Palestinians in custody. We are seeing reports of deaths in custody; more than 37 Palestinian detainees passed away in custody,” she said.

Ansari expressed optimism about the push from international judiciary mechanisms and emphasised the organisation’s full support for these impartial and independent investigative bodies, which have the jurisdiction and ability to impose legally binding orders.

“We are heeding the ICJ; the World Court says that Israel is violating the prohibitions on apartheid, so we are seeing some steps that accountability is on its way, which is important to end the cycle of violence and impunity for perpetrators,” she said.

HRW calls on governments and states to use whatever leverage they have to pressure Israeli authorities to respect humanitarian law principles, including suspending military transfers and implementing targeted sanctions. States need to take more serious action to hold Israeli authorities accountable. Without such measures, there is a significant risk that these states could be complicit in war crimes.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Milena Ansari, Israel and Palestine Assistant Researcher at HRW, here.