The United Nations Committee Against Torture has issued a searing assessment of Israel’s conduct in its detention facilities, stating there is credible evidence of a “de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture.”

The findings, published on Friday, follow Israel’s scheduled review under the Convention Against Torture. All participating states undergo routine evaluation, during which governments and civil society organisations provide testimony.

Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups delivered detailed accounts of the treatment of Palestinians in detention, describing severe physical and psychological abuse. According to their submissions, thousands of Palestinians have been detained since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.

The committee noted Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention and the Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows authorities to hold suspects for prolonged periods without access to legal counsel or family visits. Rights groups say many families waited months simply to learn that a relative had been taken into custody.

The UN described this lack of communication as “enforced disappearance,” a violation of international law and a practice it says has become increasingly widespread since the escalation of the conflict.

Particularly troubling to the committee was the reported detention of vulnerable groups under the Unlawful Combatants framework. These include children, the elderly, and pregnant women, who, according to the evidence presented, have been held without clear legal justification.

But it is the accounts of conditions inside detention centres that drew the committee’s sharpest condemnation. Testimonies described detainees being deprived of food and water, subjected to severe beatings, attacked by dogs, and exposed to electrocution.

Other allegations include waterboarding, sexual violence, and detainees being kept permanently shackled. Some were reportedly denied access to toilet facilities and forced to wear diapers for extended periods.

In its conclusions, the committee said these accounts point to treatment that “amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity.” It added that evidence of organised and widespread torture could constitute one of the acts of genocide under international law, depending on intent and context.

The committee’s findings are likely to intensify scrutiny of Israel’s military and security policies, particularly as international legal bodies continue to examine actions taken during the war in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is already hearing a genocide case brought by South Africa, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) is considering arrest warrants for senior Israeli and Hamas leaders.

Israel has consistently denied allegations of genocide or systematic torture. Officials argue that its detention policies are necessary to address security threats posed by militant groups, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel.

The Israeli government also maintains that all detainees are treated in accordance with domestic and international law, and that any abuses are isolated incidents that are investigated when reported.

However, rights organisations, including B’Tselem, Adalah, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, dispute this narrative. They say abuses are systemic and enabled by sweeping legal powers granted to the Israeli military and intelligence services.

The UN Committee Against Torture has called on Israel to immediately implement reforms, ensure detainees are granted access to lawyers and families, and investigate allegations of mistreatment transparently. It also urged Israel to halt the use of the Unlawful Combatants Law to detain civilians.

As the conflict continues and detentions rise, the committee warned that failure to act risks entrenching a system of abuse that violates international norms.

Israel has yet to issue a full official response to the committee’s conclusions, though officials in Jerusalem dismissed the allegations as “politically motivated” in initial comments to local media.

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members