Palestinians described abuses by Israeli forces and settlers—such as punching them in the genitals, being held naked for days, and being starved—to independent UN-backed human rights investigators on Tuesday during hearings on the treatment of Palestinian detainees during the war in Gaza, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories was established by the UN-backed Human Rights Council and chaired by former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. Its findings could serve as evidence for the International Criminal Court or other bodies seeking to prosecute war crimes and other rights violations committed during the conflict.

Israel has refused to cooperate with the committee, accusing it and the council of bias against it. Israel, which withdrew from the council shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the US withdrawal last month, has repeatedly denied mistreating Palestinian detainees in its custody and said it takes action against any violations. Rights groups have pointed to widespread abuse of detainees at the Sde Teiman military detention center.

The first witness, a nurse from Gaza, reported via video from the Strip that he was locked in a cage, suspended "like a punching bag," beaten on his genitals until they bled, and attacked with dogs by other detainees.

Saeed Mohammed Abdel Fattah Abu Al-Jidyan, 26, said he was detained on November 18, 2023, in the early days of the war, while working at Al-Shifa Hospital. Through an interpreter, he described being ordered to undress and held naked for three days.

Israeli forces launched two major airstrikes over several days on Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza's main hospital, during the war, accusing Hamas of using it for military purposes, allegations denied by hospital staff.

During interrogation by military investigators, including about the tunnels, Al-Jedyan said he knew nothing about them, adding, "The torture affected my genitals."

Another witness from Gaza said he was held at Sde Teiman and another facility, and by the time of his release, he said he had lost nearly 30 kilograms (about 65 pounds). It was not immediately clear how long he had been held. He said, according to a translator, "This is not just my story. I am just one person among many held by the occupying Israeli force."

These accounts could not be independently verified. The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killed approximately 1,200 people, including 311 serving soldiers, according to Israeli government reports. More than 250 people were taken hostage, and dozens remain in Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 48,500 Palestinians were killed in the war, most of them women and children.

Citing eyewitness accounts and other evidence, Israeli authorities claimed that Hamas-led militants committed widespread rape and sexual violence. The commission attempted to speak directly with Israeli victims but was unable to do so, citing Israeli government "obstruction" and difficulty accessing them, according to the UN human rights office.

The committee's sessions continue on Wednesday. It is expected to issue a report on Thursday on Israel's alleged "systematic" use of sexual and other gender-based violence against Palestinians since the attacks of October 7, 2023.

The committee, which was formed in May 2021 following further violence between Hamas and Israel, has previously held hearings on issues such as the designation of several Palestinian NGOs as terrorist organizations and the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.