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Although it has not yet responded to Al Jazeera's request for comment, Israel continues to protest allegations of torture leveled at its armed forces in an unpublished report by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
The report details the widespread use of torture against Palestinians held captive by Israeli forces in Gaza, including 21 UNRWA staff members and 15 family members of UNRWA staff, an allegation Israel denies.
The report's findings match testimony Al Jazeera has collected from people detained in Gaza and tortured by Israel since the beginning of the war on the besieged territory.
There are also well-documented cases in which arbitrarily detained Palestinians suffered extreme degrading treatment, a situation that was also detailed in the UNRWA report.
According to the February report, UNRWA documented the release by Israel of 1,002 detainees – ranging in age from six to 82 – at the Kerem Abu Salem crossing (called Kerem Shalom by Israel) between 18 December and 19 February.
The released detainees included UNRWA staff, women, children, the elderly, and vulnerable people suffering from conditions such as Alzheimer's and cancer – all of whom were transported from Gaza and held in various locations within Israel.
To help these individuals, UNRWA set up a reception facility in Karam Abu Salem, where they provide food and water to the released individuals and help them reach their families.
“Typically, the launched detainees are extraordinarily disoriented, hungry, bodily exhausted and present apparent indicators of bodily and psychological trauma, and are wearing soiled garments, typically with seen blood stains.” Let's give.
“They’re usually unaware that the battle is ongoing, typically don’t understand they’ve returned to Gaza, and have no idea the whereabouts or destiny of their family members,” the report mentioned. “
Nevertheless, UNRWA notes that the releases documented by it signify solely a portion of the full variety of individuals detained and mistreated by Israel in Gaza, as there are various extra individuals inside Gaza who have been taken, tortured, and have been launched – it estimated round 4,000 individuals in complete.
torture
Detainees have been interrogated, with UNRWA workers being of explicit curiosity to Israeli interrogators who allegedly tried to get them to admit to collusion with Hamas or the 7 October assault on Israel that killed 1,139 individuals. and 253 have been captured, who have been recaptured. To Gaza.
Practices recorded by UNRWA embody the usage of nail weapons on prisoners' knees, sexual abuse in opposition to each women and men, and the insertion of an electrified metallic rod into prisoners' rectums.
“They have been beating me with an expandable metallic bar. There was blood on my trousers and after they noticed this they beat me proper there. They used a nail gun on my knee. These nails remained in my knee for about 24 hours, till I used to be taken to Niqab jail,” a 26-year-old man instructed UNRWA about his 56 days in Israeli detention.
Mahmoud Abd Rabbu, 62, of Jabaliya, instructed Al Jazeera that he was displaced to an Indonesian hospital and, over the last days of the Israeli siege on the hospital, he was instructed that everybody ought to transfer to the south.
He headed to a checkpoint that had been decided as “protected” by Israeli forces, the place he and one other man have been taken out of a bunch of 80 individuals and detained.
He explains that he was stored in a bunch of greater than 100 individuals who endured days of “beatings, starvation and chilly”, including that he was blindfolded, not allowed to sleep And was compelled to spend many of the day sitting on his knees.
He mentioned, “If anybody eliminated his blindfold, he could be known as by troopers and overwhelmed after which held on the barbed wire fence.”
One other detained man instructed UNRWA: “They made me sit on one thing like a scorching metallic stick and it felt prefer it was on hearth – I obtained burned (within the anus).” The troopers hit me on the chest with their sneakers and used one thing like a metallic follow a small nail on the tip of it,'' he mentioned.
“They made us drink from the bathrooms and had canines assault us,” he recalled, earlier than describing how he had seen the our bodies of “in all probability 9” individuals who had been detained and have been killed, together with one who died after ingesting alcohol. Insert an electrical stick into his anus. He grew to become so sick, we noticed worms popping out of his physique after which he died,” he mentioned.
Khalid al-Nabris from the Khan Yunis refugee camp instructed Al Jazeera that he and a number of other others spent three days with out meals or water, “solely beatings, and once we slept they lined us with moist blankets within the bitter chilly.” Used to provide”. Detained by Israeli forces, taken to a location he didn’t acknowledge.
A number of people who have been tortured by Israel after which launched instructed Al Jazeera that the troopers who tortured them have been asking the identical sorts of questions, together with: “The place are the tunnels?”, “The place is (Hamas chief) Sinwar?” Are you?”, “The place are you?” captive?” and “Who are you aware who’s a Hamas fighter?”
Rami Abu Dakka of Bani Suhayla in Gaza instructed Al Jazeera that he and his household tried to return to their house from Rafah in late January. As he approached the home, Israeli gunmen opened hearth, he mentioned, hitting him within the leg. His voice breaking, he mentioned his brother, Hani, had been shot useless in the identical barrage.
He additional described how Israeli troopers supplied first support to his gunshot wound within the leg and beat him to get him to admit that he knew Hamas fighters. He was then transferred to an Israeli hospital, the place he had a platinum plate inserted in his leg, was blindfolded all the time, handcuffed across the clock, and often interrogated.
Descriptions of the ill-treatment of the launched detainees, given to Al Jazeera on the hospital the place they have been being handled, match UNRWA stories. The report additional said that given the vital state of Gaza's well being sector after nearly six months of Israeli assaults, all launched detainees have been required to obtain medical care and have been instantly transferred to hospital throughout the border wherever attainable. it was executed.
In a single case detailed within the report, instant medical transport was organized for a kid who was deserted in Karam Abu Salem with canine chew marks on his physique and bruises on his face.
Talking on the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva final week, the physique's worldwide professional on torture, Dr Alice Jill Edwards, instructed Reuters she deliberate to go to Israel to analyze widespread stories of torture in opposition to either side throughout the battle. Stated for.
stack the deck
In January, Israel accused a number of UNRWA workers of taking part within the 7 October assaults.
In an alleged try and coerce statements to assist the fees, Israeli interrogators tortured detained UNRWA workers in Gaza, a few of whom they took whereas they have been performing their duties as workers of the worldwide reduction company. Was doing.
In detention, UNRWA workers suffered “extreme bodily beatings”; waterboarding; publicity to canines; Threats of violence…rape, and electrical shock; verbal and psychological abuse; Threats of homicide, damage or different hurt to their members of the family; abusive and insulting habits; In keeping with stories, they have been compelled to strip and take images.
An investigation was launched by the United Nations Workplace of Inside Oversight Providers (OIOS) into the already extremely audited company to find out the extent of any alleged involvement within the October assault and 9 UNRWA workers have been dismissed on account of the allegations. was given.
The company's 9 main funders, together with the US and Britain, introduced the instant suspension of donations totaling $450 million, equal to nearly half of the company's annual finances.
A Freedom of Data request from the UK authorities, which mentioned it had determined to droop UNRWA contributions over the Israeli report, has not but been delivered to Al Jazeera English, regardless of a promise of 6 March.
Nevertheless, based on UN diplomats, an interim report earlier this month on the allegations made by Israel in opposition to the company contained no new data apart from beforehand unproven claims of UNRWA collusion.
Sweden, the European Union and Canada introduced they have been resuming donations, whereas different international locations, together with the US, mentioned they’d wait till the company's investigation was accomplished earlier than reviewing their resolution to droop funds.
Israel has lengthy been sad with UNRWA's presence inside Gaza. It blamed the company's stories for criticism throughout the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice's preliminary ruling on 26 January that its forces had focused civilian infrastructure, together with its colleges and first response stations, after South Africa attacked Israel throughout the battle on Gaza. Was accused of committing genocide. This likelihood will increase additional as support is blocked and besieged populations proceed to slip in the direction of famine.
On Monday, The Instances of Israel reported that the nation's army supposed to unilaterally disband UNRWA inside Gaza, handing over its capabilities to different companies of the army's alternative.
Whereas it was not clear which companies the Israeli army had named, or whether or not negotiations have been underway, the report mentioned the transfer in opposition to the company is the most recent in a long-running marketing campaign to discredit it, Which has been occurring for the reason that institution of UNRWA in 1949. The company was ordered to assist displaced Palestinian refugees till they may return house.
Because the starvation scenario worsens, with 15 youngsters reported to have died from hunger in current days, UNRWA's position in stopping what companies are warning of a “humanitarian disaster” is more and more essential. It’s turning into so.
Different companies, such because the Danish Refugee Council, have warned that neither they nor different NGOs nonetheless energetic in Gaza can replicate UNRWA's position.
Al Jazeera will proceed to press forward with its request that the UK Overseas, Commonwealth and Growth Workplace share the Israeli allegations in opposition to UNRWA.
