The United Nations has delivered a stunning rebuke to Israel, with its Committee against Torture reporting evidence of an “organised and widespread” policy of torture and ill-treatment against Palestinian detainees.

The findings, released Friday in Geneva, assert that severe abuses have “gravely intensified” since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. This report forces a harsh spotlight on the human cost of the ongoing conflict, questioning the legal and moral conduct of a key global player and placing renewed pressure on international bodies to act.

The committee, which periodically reviews all signatory countries to the Convention against Torture, based its conclusions on harrowing testimony from both Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups. Allegations paint a grim picture of conditions inside Israeli detention centres, where thousands of Palestinians have been held, many under laws that permit indefinite detention without trial.

A System of Abuse

The report details a litany of alleged abuses that it warns may amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading living conditions. Testimonies from former detainees and reports from rights groups like B'Tselem and Addameer formed a significant part of the evidence reviewed.

Key allegations documented by the committee and supporting rights groups include:

• Severe Physical Violence: Widespread and repeated beatings, attacks by dogs, and electrocution.
• Psychological and Environmental Torture: Methods such as waterboarding, prolonged sleep deprivation, and being held in outdoor cages exposed to the elements.
• Humiliation and Sexual Violence: Detainees reported being forcibly stripped, subjected to sexual abuse, and forced to wear diapers while permanently shackled.
• Systematic Deprivation: The deliberate withholding of adequate food, water, and access to toilets and medical care.

The committee expressed particular alarm over Israel's use of its 'Unlawful Combatants Law', which allows the state to hold individuals for long periods without access to legal counsel or family, a practice the UN body equated to “enforced disappearance”.

Israel Rejects Allegations

The Israeli government has forcefully denied the accusations. During the review session, Ambassador Daniel Meron, Israel's representative, dismissed the claims as “disinformation” and part of a systematic campaign against the state. He emphasized that Israel is committed to its obligations under international law, even as it confronts significant security threats from terrorist organizations.

Despite these assurances, the UN panel noted with serious concern the absence of a specific crime of torture in Israel's domestic law. It also criticized the continued use of a “necessity” defence, which can be invoked to justify physical pressure during interrogations.

The Path Forward

For Kenyans, this report resonates on a fundamental level. It is a stark reminder of the importance of upholding international law and human rights—principles that are central to a stable and just global order. When systems designed to protect human dignity are accused of systematically violating it, it challenges the foundation of international justice that nations like Kenya rely upon.

The UN committee has called on Israel to establish an “independent, impartial and effective ad hoc investigatory commission” to probe all allegations and prosecute those responsible, including superior officers. The path forward remains fraught, but the UN's findings have drawn a clear line, demanding accountability and a return to the fundamental principles of human dignity.