The United Nations said on Friday that the Israeli forces arrested thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in conditions that may amount to torture.

The representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Ajith Songhai, said during a regular UN press conference in Geneva that some of the detainees confirmed that the Israeli forces blindfolded and beat them, and when they released them, they were naked and wearing only diapers.

Songai added that the men were detained in generally appalling conditions, and in unknown locations for periods ranging from 30 to 55 days.

The UN official quoted some of the detainees as saying, "They were subjected to beatings, humiliation, and ill-treatment, and what may amount to torture. They were blindfolded for long periods, some for several days in a row."

He added, "A man said that he was only able to shower once during his 55-day detention period. There are reports that men were later released, but only while wearing diapers."

Songai said their testimonies are consistent with reports received by the UN Human Rights Office that Palestinians are being detained on a large scale, “including many civilians held in secret, often subject to ill-treatment,” without access to their families, lawyers or access to legal aid. No effective judicial protection.

Songai indicated that he could not give an accurate figure for the number of detainees, but he expressed his belief that the number was in the thousands.

He added that the detainees were later classified and some of them were interrogated, and they were not informed of their imminent release, but they were blindfolded and left at the Kerem Shalom crossing without the clothes, belongings, and money that they had when they were arrested.

Songai added that some of them were wearing prison uniforms and others in diapers, saying, "We are not sure exactly why."