The key facts

  • The League of Arab States demands an independent international investigation into the torture of Gaza detainees in Ramla prison
  • The basis was an October 27 report by the Palestinian Media Office for Prisoners' Affairs about assaults in the Rakevet wing on Fridays and Saturdays
  • The League demands access for the Red Cross and independent observers and the release of sick and wounded detainees; there has been no Israeli response yet

The demand for an investigation and its grounds

The League of Arab States on Sunday called for an independent international investigation into the torture and systematic ill-treatment of Palestinians from Gaza held in Israel's Ramla prison, and demanded that those responsible be held accountable. In its statement, the League condemned repeated assaults on detainees in the Rakevet wing, in which, according to its data, detainees sustained injuries and burns, and described these actions as violations of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Convention against Torture, as well as 'crimes against humanity.'

What the Palestinian office's report describes

The League's statement followed a report by the Palestinian Media Office for Prisoners' Affairs dated October 27, which described repeated assaults on detainees from Gaza in the Rakevet wing. According to the office, the assaults took place on Fridays and Saturdays and included beatings with batons, the use of pepper spray, gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. It was also reported that guards entered cells with police dogs and took detainees to a room without surveillance cameras, where they were beaten. The office warned that continued ill-treatment threatens the lives of detainees, especially the sick and wounded.

Demands and reaction

The League demanded an immediate end to the ill-treatment and called on Israel to ensure unimpeded access for the International Committee of the Red Cross and independent observers to document conditions of detention and provide medical care. It also called for the immediate release of sick and wounded detainees and an end to arbitrary detentions, and urged the international community, the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly to act to protect Palestinian detainees and end impunity. No immediate Israeli reaction to the statement followed. Ramla prison is located in central Israel and is run by the Israel Prison Service; the reported information about torture comes from the Palestinian side and the Arab League and has not yet been confirmed by independent verification.