Palestinian human rights welcome the inclusion of the occupation army on the blacklist for sexual violence

Palestinian human rights organizations widely welcomed the United Nations' decision to include Israeli forces on the blacklist of entities involved in practicing sexual violence during conflicts. These organizations considered the decision a clear international recognition of the extent of grave violations suffered by Palestinians, emphasizing that what was stated in the UN report reflects a tragic reality previously documented through hundreds of field testimonies.

This inclusion came within the annual report submitted by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to the Security Council, based on documented evidence indicating the continued practices of sexual violence against detainees from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The report clarified that these violations affected men, women, and children, and occurred primarily during the harsh detention and interrogation periods imposed by the occupation authorities.

For his part, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Abdullah Al-Zaghari, affirmed that this report constitutes a clear legal and moral condemnation of the occupation, and proves the validity of the warnings issued by human rights organizations over the past two years. Al-Zaghari stressed that these practices are not merely individual actions by soldiers, but rather a systematic policy adopted by the Israeli detention system to break the will of Palestinian prisoners.

Al-Zaghari called for the necessity of transforming these international condemnations into concrete practical steps that lead to holding those responsible for these crimes accountable and providing immediate protection for prisoners. He pointed out that the Prisoners' Club provided international bodies with dozens of testimonies from released prisoners who were subjected to various forms of torture and sexual assault, which contributed to building the evidence base on which the United Nations relied in its recent classification.

In a related context, Basil Al-Sourani, head of the advocacy unit at the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, saw the inclusion of 31 specific cases in the UN report as conclusive evidence of a policy aimed at inflicting widespread physical and psychological harm. Al-Sourani considered this report a strong response to the shortcomings of some UN rapporteurs who, in their previous reports, ignored the extent of Palestinian suffering documented by live testimonies.

Al-Sourani explained that the center has documented terrifying patterns of violations since the beginning of the aggression, including enforced disappearance and physical and sexual torture against unarmed civilians. He pointed out that many victims face extreme difficulties in talking about their experiences due to social stigma and deep psychological effects, which means that the actual numbers may be much higher than what has been officially announced.

In turn, the director of Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights, Alaa Al-Sakafi, described the UN step as an acknowledgment of the seriousness of what Palestinians are exposed to, especially in light of the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip. Al-Sakafi stressed that the value of this classification lies in its ability to break the state of impunity that Israel has enjoyed for many years, emphasizing the need to immediately open independent international investigations.

Al-Sakafi indicated that Al-Dameer Association was one of the active parties in providing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with accurate legal data and statements regarding sexual violence inside prisons. He explained that the testimonies collected by the association showed the use of sexual assaults as a means of torture and psychological pressure, which contradicts all international conventions and norms related to human rights.

For his part, the head of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, Ramy Abdu, considered this official recognition to enhance the chances of legal prosecution of occupation leaders before international courts. Abdu affirmed that the decision gives victims space to acknowledge their suffering, but he warned that if the decision remains symbolic without punitive measures, its deterrent effect on the ground will be limited.

Abdu pointed out that the Monitor issued detailed reports, including the report 'Another Genocide Behind Walls,' which highlighted the atrocities of torture inside Israeli detention camps. He explained that the accumulation of reports from multiple sources, Palestinian and international, made it impossible for the United Nations to continue ignoring this overwhelming evidence proving the involvement of the Israeli army in sexual violence crimes.

In the same context, the spokesperson for the Gaza Centre for Human Rights, Mohammed Abdullah, described the decision as a 'conditional welcome,' considering it a belated step that covers only a small part of the reality. Abdullah stressed that the actual extent of violations monitored by field teams indicates that large numbers of detainees are subjected to systematic humiliation operations that exceed what was stated in the Secretary-General's annual report.

Abdullah emphasized that the center continues to coordinate with UN mechanisms and special rapporteurs to ensure that the voices of victims reach international forums. He explained that human rights work is currently focused on facilitating direct communication between witnesses and UN committees to enhance verification processes and ensure that the rights of victims are not lost amidst the media blackout that the occupation attempts to impose.

Human rights organizations agree that the inclusion of Israel in this list puts the international community to a real test of its commitment to protecting human rights and applying international law without exceptions. These institutions affirm that the next stage requires intensive international pressure to ensure the cessation of these crimes and to provide legal remedies for thousands of Palestinians who have been subjected to abuse in interrogation centers and prisons.

In conclusion, human rights advocates believe that this legal development represents a cornerstone in building international criminal accountability files against Israeli officials. With the continued documentation of new cases, the urgent need for immediate international intervention to protect detainees who are still behind bars and face real risks threatening their lives and physical and psychological safety on a daily basis becomes apparent.

Sexual violence practiced by Israel against Palestinian prisoners is no longer viewed as isolated individual incidents, but rather as a systematic policy practiced by the occupation authorities within the detention system.