Israeli human rights groups say Israel has sharply escalated torture and severe mistreatment of Palestinian detainees since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Their findings were submitted to the UN Committee Against Torture during Israel’s latest review.
The joint report was prepared by Adalah, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, Parents Against Child Detention, HaMoked and Physicians for Human Rights–Israel. It said Israel has intensified practices that violate the UN Convention Against Torture and targets Palestinians from Gaza, the West Bank and inside Israel.
Detention Without Trial and Harsh Conditions
The groups said Israel expanded its use of the “unlawful combatant” label, a status not recognised under international law. It allows authorities to detain people for long periods without trial and deny them protections given to prisoners of war. More than 4,000 Gaza residents were held under this classification.
Administrative detention also surged. The number of detainees held without charge rose from around 1,100 before the war to 3,500 by September 2025. Testimonies described detainees held in open-air cages, exposed to heat and cold, shackled and blindfolded at all times. Many were forced to kneel for hours and sleep on the ground.
Some said they received medical care while still blindfolded and restrained. Others were forced to use diapers because they could not access toilets. Food rations often fell below 1,000 calories a day.
Documented Torture Methods and Rising Deaths
The report listed beatings, dog attacks, burns from boiling water and the use of intense sensory manipulation in so-called “Disco Rooms.” It also documented sexual assault with objects. According to the groups, at least 94 detainees have died in Israeli custody since the war began, and dozens more suffered permanent injuries.
Complaints of torture during Shin Bet interrogations rose from 66 cases over two decades to 238 in two years. Only two investigations were recommended, and none led to indictments. The Shin Bet denied using torture but admitted to “special interrogation methods,” including sleep deprivation, painful shackling, cold exposure, loud noise, forced nudity and threats against family members.
Military and Prison Service investigations also rarely led to accountability. Out of 58 military investigations, most involving deaths, only two resulted in indictments. The Prison Service opened 36 cases, leading to six indictments, none related to deaths or sexual violence.
Medical Neglect, Court Rejections and Missing Detainees
The groups said Israeli prisons use denial of medical care as a form of torture. Scabies outbreaks have affected thousands of detainees. The Supreme Court rejected 18 of 20 petitions seeking better conditions.
The fate of hundreds of Palestinian detainees remains unknown. Families say they have not received information about their relatives’ locations or conditions.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Justice Ministry and Prison Service rejected the allegations when they appeared before the UN committee. Rights groups say more than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, remain in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions.
