Overview
- Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, presented her report to the Human Rights Council on Monday and urged investigations and arrest warrants for Israel Katz, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich.
- The report says Israel has run a state-enabled system of abuse since October 2023, citing more than 18,500 arrests, at least 1,500 minors detained, over 4,000 people unaccounted for, and nearly 100 deaths in custody.
- It documents methods that detainees described, including beatings, electric shocks, stress positions, deprivation of food, water, and sleep, sexual violence against some detainees, and long isolation.
- Albanese says independent checks are blocked because families and lawyers cannot learn where many detainees are held and international inspectors cannot visit the sites.
- Israel’s mission in Geneva rejected the findings and accused Albanese of bias, while coverage highlighted her claim that Israel was given a “license to torture,” underscoring the sharp split over her credibility and conclusions.