Albanese: Occupation Practices Systematic Torture Against Palestinians with Destructive Intentions

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, affirmed that the Israeli occupation authorities are pursuing a systematic and widespread policy of torture against Palestinian detainees. Albanese explained in a recent report presented to the media that these practices reflect a clear desire for collective revenge and reveal destructive intentions targeting the Palestinian presence. She stressed that these violations have escalated sharply and unprecedentedly since the events of October 7, 2023.

The UN report, issued under the title 'Torture and Genocide,' detailed horrific accounts of the extremely cruel physical and psychological abuses suffered by Palestinian detainees. Human rights sources indicated that the occupation has turned detention centers into arenas for collective punishment, away from international oversight. The report stated that this policy aims to break the will of the Palestinian people by directly and continuously targeting the bodies and minds of detainees.

Albanese detailed in her report the types of violations committed, confirming that they include brutal beatings, sexual violence, rape, in addition to ill-treatment that in many cases led to death. She also drew attention to the policy of deliberate starvation and systematic deprivation of the most basic necessities of human life inside prisons. She considered these actions not merely individual incidents, but part of an integrated system used by the occupying state in the occupied territories.

The UN rapporteur warned of the long-term effects of these crimes, as the occupation's practices have left deep and permanent scars on the bodies and minds of tens of thousands of Palestinians and their families. She affirmed that the scale of human suffering resulting from these policies is beyond description and calls for urgent international action for accountability. Albanese also condemned all forms of ill-treatment and torture, focusing primarily on the systematic behavior of the Israeli occupation in this context.

In contrast, the Israeli mission in Geneva responded to these accusations by attacking the person of the UN rapporteur, claiming that she adopts a 'hate agenda' aimed at delegitimizing Israel. Despite these criticisms, Albanese continues to document the crimes committed in the occupied territories, emphasizing the need to protect the human rights of Palestinians. This report comes at a time when international pressure on the occupation to stop its ongoing violations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is increasing.

Torture in detention centers has been used on an unprecedented scale as collective punishment, indicating revenge and destructive intentions.