Reports of sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoner in Israel is 'deeply concerning', White House says
Reports of rape, torture and abuse of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention are "deeply concerning", the White House has said.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US government has been clear with Israel that all detainees must be treated in accordance with international law.
The comments come after a new video emerged appearing to show the sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee at an Israeli military prison, known as Sde Teiman.
The alleged victim – a man in his thirties – was brought to one of Israel’s public hospitals in life-threatening condition, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI).
Several Israeli soldiers, who were working as guards at the base, are under investigation for the alleged “suspected substantial abuse” of a Palestinian prisoner.
The IDF said last month its Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID) was formally looking into the allegations.
There is growing pressure for the facility to be shut down, with campaign groups saying conditions at the prison are poor and that abuse by Israeli soldiers is common.
Jean-Pierre said: "The reports of rape, torture, and abuse are deeply, deeply concerning.
"And we have been clear and consistent with Israel that it must treat all detainees humanely and with dignity in accordance with international law, must respect detainees’ human rights, and must ensure accountability for any abuses or violations."
"[I want to] reiterate that we support an IDF investigation into allegations of serious abuse of Palestinian detainees by IDF soldiers.
"It is essential that the rule of law and due process prevail. That is what we’re going to see. And obviously, we’re going to continue to have those conversations."
Matthew Miller, US State Department spokesperson, also said there should be "zero tolerance" of any abuse of detainees and called for Israel to investigate these allegations "swiftly" and "fully".
The Israeli Supreme Court convened on Wednesday to consider a petition for the facilities closure due to new information about abuse coming to light.
Human rights group have been engaged in a legal battle over the closure of the prison since June.
These calls escalated in late July after ten soldiers were arrested on suspicion of their involvement in the alleged sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee at the facility.
Five of the soldiers who were arrested are no longer under investigation.
The soldiers' detention triggered protests by supporters and at least two government ministers demanded their release.
The response underscored tensions between the military command and hardline nationalists in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, who advocate for even harsher treatment of Palestinians detained from Gaza.
Defence lawyer Nati Rom told the Associated Press the soldiers were arrested about a month after the alleged attack.
He said the soldiers used force to defend themselves against a detainee who attacked them during a search, but did not sexually abuse him.
A video purporting to reveal the assault shows a group of masked soldiers wrestling a detainee from the ground, where he and other Palestinians appear to be lying face down in a fenced-in pen, their arms cuffed above their heads.
The soldiers take the detainee to an area of the pen they appear to cordon off using riot shields.
Footage then shows about eight soldiers and a dog with the detainee, largely hidden from view by shields held up by some of the soldiers.
Israel’s Channel 12 news, which broadcast the video, said it captures the moment of the attack.
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Military prosecutors stated this evidence indicates "a reasonable suspicion of the commission of the acts," the Israeli military said Tuesday. The IDF did not comment on the video.
Dr Yoel Donchin, an Israeli anesthesiologist at the field hospital for Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman, treated the detainee.
In an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Donchin said the detainee's life was in danger and that he was in need of emergency surgery after the attack.
Donchin said the detainee's case was the most extreme he had witnessed since working at the facility.
In a written submission to the Israeli Supreme Court in advance of Wednesday's hearing, lawyers for the state did not mention the military's sexual assault investigation, but insisted the rights groups' claims of deplorable conditions were inaccurate.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the organisation arguing in court for the military prison's closure, had alleged that detainees at the facility are punished with severe violence, including with attack dogs and sexual assault; made to sit on the ground blindfolded and handcuffed 24 hours a day; forbidden from moving or speaking and rarely shower or change clothes.
In a written response, the state said detainees were given sufficient food and water, showered regularly, accessed medical treatment as needed, and were blindfolded and handcuffed because of concerns that they could harm staff.
The state said a new wing of Sde Teiman set to open in September would improve conditions, including adding a walking area for detainees. Additional improvements are expected to be made later this year, it said.
Following Wednesday's hearing, the court gave the state a week and a half to provide more information about conditions at the prison.
Sde Teiman was the main military prison holding Palestinians captured in large-scale raids on the Gaza Strip.
Israel began moving detainees out of the facility following the rights groups’ petition to shut it down. State filings show 28 detainees remain.
Under Israeli law, Palestinians from Gaza can be held at the facility, and other military detention camps, without a detention order, trial or charge, for over a month.
Many Palestinian detainees have spent weeks in the facility before being released back to Gaza after Israeli authorities deemed them unaffiliated with militant groups.
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