Amid further reported bombardment of Gaza overnight into Tuesday, UN and partner organizations have expressed deep concern over the "inhuman" detention of suspected Palestinian fighters in the enclave by Israeli authorities, alleging treatment so poor that some had to have limbs amputated "due to prolonged shackling".
In a new report on the situation in Gaza for May 2024, the authors cited testimonies "from medics and whistleblowers" that injured detainees have been held at a field hospital with "shackled hands and feet and blindfolded 24/7 to their beds".
Hostage fears
In addition, as of 19 May, 128 of the 253 people captured during Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel on 7 October still remain in Gaza, the report's authors said, underscoring that the taking of hostages is a "grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and a war crime". More than 35 of the hostages have been declared dead and those still alive likely face "the direst of conditions", with accounts from those released indicating "multiple reports of sexual abuse in captivity".
Desert camp
Returning to the Palestinian detainees, testimonies indicated that prisoners are "fed through a straw, with several cases of detainees having their limbs amputated due to prolonged shackling", according to the update from the Global Protection Cluster, which brings together UN agencies and other international and non-governmental organizations.
It echoes earlier concerns about alleged mistreatment of detainees from the UN human rights office, OHCHR and independent rights experts. The Israeli army has previously denied these claims.
At least 27 detainees from Gaza likely died while in custody at an Israeli military base including at Sde Teiman in Israel's Negev desert, it is believed, while "at least four" others from the enclave died in Israel Prison Service (IPS) facilities either because of alleged beatings or a lack of medical assistance.
