Overview
- Committee rapporteur Peter Vedel Kessing said extensive submissions describe systematic and widespread torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023.
- Alleged methods cited to the committee include severe beatings, electric shocks, prolonged stress positions, starvation, waterboarding, and sexual insults or rape threats.
- The committee said reports from UN bodies, Israeli and Palestinian groups, and international NGOs indicate the scale of abuse has reached unprecedented levels.
- Kessing noted that many detainees later released reportedly described torture or other ill-treatment, while stressing that violations by one party do not justify violations by another.
- Israel’s ambassador in Geneva, Daniel Meron, rejected the accusations as disinformation and said Israel remains committed to its obligations; the committee plans to address allegations against Hamas in a future session.