Several thousand Palestinians have been secretly detained by Israel across the Gaza Strip since October 7, with many suffering abuse, Ajit Sunga, head of the UN human rights office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said at a briefing in Geneva.
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“Several thousand Palestinians have been arrested in Gaza since October 7, but it is impossible to give exact figures due to the security situation on the ground and the fact that these arrests are taking place throughout the Gaza Strip,” he said.
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Sunga added that information received by OHCHR confirms the widespread detention of Palestinians, including many civilians, who are held incommunicado, often subject to ill-treatment, without access to their families, lawyers or effective judicial protection.
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“Unless Israel can demonstrate compelling security concerns for each person remaining in custody, they should be charged or released. Israeli authorities must ensure that families have access to information about their loved ones. All cases of ill-treatment or torture of persons arrested or detained must be thoroughly and transparently investigated and, if found to have occurred, measures must be taken to ensure accountability and prevent recurrence,” the OHCHR spokesperson added.
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In December, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had not had access to any Palestinian prisoners held in Israel since October 7 and was prepared to resume visits at any time once Israel allowed it. Earlier, the Palestinian movement Hamas called on the ICRC to investigate the mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
