ISRAELI FORCES HAVE reportedly killed, raped, beaten and humiliated Palestinian women and girls in their custody and during combat since 7 October, according to a United Nations statement.
A panel of UN experts has expressed alarm at “credible allegations of egregious human rights violations” against Palestinian women and girls since the Hamas attack in October last year.
In a statement issued today, the group of human rights experts called for an impartial and urgent investigation into reports of Israeli troops and officers arbitrarily executing, raping and beating women and girls.
Women in Israeli custody have reportedly been denied access to food, water and menstruation pads, and in one case a woman was allegedly kept in a cage outdoors.
“We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing.
“Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said.
“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers.
“At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.”
The experts also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.
Also highlighted in the report was the apparent disappearance of children who have been captured by Israeli forces.
“There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown,” the experts said.
The report said that the alleged acts may constitute “grave violations” of human rights and amount to “serious crimes” under international criminal law.
Israel has already faced condemnation for its treatment of men in the custody of its military after photos and videos emerged of lines on detainees, stripped to their underwear and blindfolded, sitting on the streets of Gaza.
Israeli soldiers have been posting videos from Gaza on social media sites that show them humiliating Palestinian prisoners and the Israel Defence Forces recently acknowledged their responsibility for a channel that gleefully posted videos of graphic violence and the desecration of dead Palestinians.
Last week, the Euro-Med human rights NGO reported that Israeli civilians had been invited to watch the interrogation and torture of Palestinians in Israeli custody.
One newly released man, Omar Abu Mudallala, 43, told the NGO that Israeli soldiers “brought Israeli civilians to watch our nude torture.”
The group of four experts who compiled today’s statement included the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, the special rapporteur on Palestinian human rights and two members of the UN’s working group on discrimination against women and girls.
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