Israel says it is still investigating the case of torture of Palestinian prisoners By Reuters

JERUSALEM – Israel is conducting a “rigorous investigation” of suspects accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner and is committed to respecting international laws on the treatment of prisoners, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The UN special rapporteur on torture on Friday condemned what he called a “horrific case” of the alleged sexual abuse of a Palestinian prisoner by Israeli soldiers and said the perpetrators must be held accountable.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military said that prosecutors had requested that the soldiers accused of torturing a Palestinian prisoner be held in custody until next Thursday.

Israeli media reports said the soldiers were accused of sexually abusing an elite Hamas member at the Sde Teiman detention center in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

“Israel remains committed to the rule of law and the humane treatment of detainees and all allegations of violence of any kind are properly investigated by Israeli authorities,” the ministry said.

The United Nations says it has received numerous reports of alleged torture of Palestinians detained since October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led forces invaded Israel in an attack that killed around 1,200 people.