A new UN report affirms long-standing findings of systemic abuse in Israeli prisons, documenting 85 cases of torture, mistreatment, and sexual violence.
Currently, approximately 9,500 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel. Nearly half of them are held in “administrative detention,” a practice that allows for indefinite imprisonment without trial or formal charges.
Earlier this week, international activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla also reported torture and sexual violence while in Israeli custody. Their photographs showed severe injuries, including burns, lacerations, and signs of electric shocks.
After Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared a video of troops humiliating shackled detainees, several EU countries lodged formal protests. Notably, Italy’s foreign minister called for sanctions against the minister. On May 11, the EU sanctioned several violent settler networks in Occupied Palistinian Territories but removed Ben-Gvir from the list at the last minute to pass the package unanimously.
