Based on testimonies from released detainees in the Gaza Strip, the Independent Commission presents a special report to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Inhuman Treatment.

The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) submitted a special report on sexual torture and inhuman treatment compromising human dignity. This report comes in response to a call from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Ms. Alice Gill Edwards, to provide insights into sexual torture crimes committed during wars and armed conflicts.

ICHR relied on personal testimonies collected from detainees who have been released, concluding the existence of systematic policies of sexual torture and inhumane treatment pursued by the Israeli army against Palestinians, especially in Gaza. These policies constitute a pattern and approach rather than isolated incidents.

The testimonies included in the report reveal various forms of sexual torture that intrude upon the most intimate aspects of individuals, thus constituting one of the most severe human rights violations, including:

Sexual verbal abuse or harassment suffered by detainees, often involving explicit and demeaning sexual insults directed at the detainee's mother, wife, or themselves.

Forced nudity and humiliating searches endured by detainees during repeated and demeaning search operations. These searches are psychologically devastating, especially within the Arab cultural context. Sometimes, these operations are conducted by soldiers of the opposite gender, and detainees may be subjected to physical assault and humiliation during nudity. Often, these searches are unnecessary, as metal detection devices could be used instead.

Sexual harassment and repeated assaults, where male detainees are forced to remain naked in rooms with naked female soldiers and subjected to sexual assault by touching sensitive parts of their bodies during interrogation. Female detainees also face sexual harassment through similar touching.

Threats of rape and actual rape of detainees represent one of the most severe forms of torture, including the insertion of objects like sticks or conical tools into detainees' rectums.

Additionally, humiliation and forcing detainees to perform inhuman acts, such as walking like dogs while naked, further strip them of their dignity and humanity.

Documented testimonies indicate that female detainees face specific and severe violations, including deprivation of access to essential menstrual hygiene supplies, leaving them in humiliating and unhealthy conditions. Additionally, reports document painful incidents where pregnant detainees suffer miscarriages due to torture and mistreatment during detention. These women are also denied necessary medical care, increasing the risk of serious health complications. These policies reflect a blatant disregard for the dignity of detained women and violate international standards for human rights.

The deliberate obstruction by Israeli authorities of the International Committee of the Red Cross's access to detainees, in an attempt to evade scrutiny and accountability for the conditions and treatment detainees receive, further indicates the systematic violations of international rules in trying to escape punishment for these criminal acts.

The actions committed by the Israeli army against Palestinian detainees are classified as war crimes, crimes against humanity, and independent crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. They also form part of the ongoing genocide committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip since October of last year.

ICHR calls for serious measures to end Israeli practices of abuse and torture against Palestinian detainees, which contradict the obligations of the occupying state under international human rights and humanitarian law. ICHR demands respect for the right to life, safety, health, and dignity, ensuring that no person is subjected to violence, torture, mistreatment, or humiliation, including sexual violence.

Additionally, ICHR calls for an immediate investigation into the serious violations and grave crimes committed against prisoners and detainees, reporting on these issues to all relevant authorities. ICHR advocates for the formation of commissions of inquiry to uncover facts, hold perpetrators of these crimes accountable, and prosecute them in international courts. Furthermore, the Commission urges the Special Rapporteur to issue urgent recommendations and measures to address these serious human rights violations.