Israeli military court extends house arrest of soldiers accused of Palestinian prisoner abuse

Israel’s military court has extended the house arrest of soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee until September 4, 2024.

The court, however, has allowed the defense to hold a hearing on Sunday to request an alternative to detention, according to a military statement released on Thursday.

Such alternatives could include a place of work and suitable supervisors.

House arrest extended until Sept. 4

The soldiers are alleged to have sexually abused a member of an elite Hamas unit at the Sde Teiman detention facility, located in the Negev desert in southern Israel. The accusations have drawn significant attention, with Israeli press reporting on the case and international bodies weighing in.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture described the alleged sexual abuse as “particularly gruesome” and urged Israel’s civilian courts to investigate the matter thoroughly and hold the perpetrators accountable.

This case is part of a broader context, as the U.N. has received multiple reports of alleged torture against Palestinians detained since the conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people.

The ongoing conflict has led to significant casualties, with health officials in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza reporting over 40,000 deaths in the 10 months of fighting that have followed.

U.N. calls for investigation, accountability

According to a United Nations Human Rights Office report released on Tuesday, thousands of Palestinians have been forcibly removed from Gaza and detained in Israel, where some have been tortured and dozens have died.

The 23-page report, based on interviews with released detainees and other victims and witnesses, highlights severe abuses, including the use of dogs and waterboarding.

Detention under dire conditions

Many Palestinian detainees were seized at checkpoints while fleeing Israel’s military offensive or from schools and hospitals where they were sheltering. The report describes how detainees were often blindfolded, shackled, transported to Israel, and placed in “cage-like” military centers, where they were forced to wear diapers for prolonged periods.

The U.N. report indicates that 53 detainees have died in custody.

“The testimonies gathered by my office and other entities indicate a range of appalling acts, such as waterboarding and the release of dogs on detainees, amongst other acts, in flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” said United Nations High Commissioner Volker Turk.

He called for the immediate release of detainees and the remaining hostages from the Oct. 7 attack in Israel.

Growing reports of abuse

The Israeli military is reportedly investigating the allegations but has declined to comment on specific cases.

The military plans to phase out the Sde Teiman camp in the Negev desert, which is cited in the U.N. report and by Palestinian rights groups as a location of detainee abuse.

Reports of detainee mistreatment in Israeli prisons have been increasing. Many detainees were held in secret, without being informed of the reasons for their detention or given access to legal representation.

The report also mentions instances of detainees being forced to strip and subjected to sexual violence.