New York, May 17 (SANA) The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has called for independent and transparent investigations into allegations of torture and abuse of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention facilities, stressing that such practices are unacceptable.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said torture and mistreatment were being carried out “systematically” against Palestinians held in Israeli custody, adding that documented violations included cases involving children.
Al-Kheetan said the office had verified the deaths of at least 90 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons since Oct. 7, 2023, including a 17-year-old boy who reportedly showed signs of severe starvation.
He added that Israeli authorities had announced additional deaths in detention facilities but had not provided sufficient information to verify the identities of the victims or the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The U.N. rights office stressed that Israel, as an occupying power, must comply with its obligations under international human rights law and called for accountability for violations committed against Palestinian prisoners.
The statement comes amid growing international concern over conditions inside Israeli prisons, alongside increasing reports of torture, medical neglect and starvation, while arrests continue across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
R.D/R.K
