The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has compiled a damning report accusing Israel of abusing hundreds of Gazans captured during the war with Hamas. The report, reviewed by The New York Times, details harrowing accounts of detainees being beaten, stripped, robbed, sexually abused, and denied access to lawyers and doctors.
According to the report, detainees, including civilians as young as 6 and as old as 82, were held at three military sites inside Israel. Some detainees reportedly died in detention, while others suffered brutal treatment to extract information or confessions, intimidate, humiliate, and punish them.
The report is based on interviews with over 100 of the 1,002 detainees released back to Gaza by mid-February. It estimates that 3,000 other Gazans remain in Israeli detention without access to lawyers. These findings align with allegations made by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups, as well as investigations by U.N. special rapporteurs.
One former detainee, Fadi Bakr, shared his horrific experience of being brutally beaten, deprived of basic necessities, and subjected to inhumane treatment during his detention in Israel. He provided evidence of his ordeal, including physical injuries sustained while in custody.
Israel has defended the detentions as necessary to interrogate Hamas members responsible for attacks on southern Israel. The Israeli military denied allegations of sexual abuse and mistreatment, stating that every death in detention is under investigation and that medical care is readily available for detainees.
The report’s existence has raised concerns about UNRWA’s credibility, as the agency is already under investigation for alleged ties to Hamas. Israel has accused UNRWA employees of participating in the Hamas-led attack on Israel, leading to funding suspensions from several countries and institutions.
The report sheds light on the plight of vulnerable individuals, including those with disabilities and illnesses, who were captured during the conflict. It highlights the challenges faced by detainees in accessing legal representation and the lack of oversight in the Israeli detention system.
As the investigation unfolds, the international community awaits further developments to ensure accountability for the alleged abuses and to protect the rights of detainees in conflict zones.
