Independent experts, part of the United Nations mechanisms for fact-finding and monitoring under the Human Rights Council, affirmed in a statement that they have received reports of Palestinian detainees being subjected to various forms of sexual assault, with at least two detainees being raped.

Additionally, it was reported that two Palestinian detainees were raped, while others were threatened with rape and sexual violence.

They also described women being subjected to humiliating searches by Israeli officers and noted the Israeli soldiers sharing demeaning images of detainees on the internet.

The statement also mentioned at least one report of a woman being held apparently in an outdoor cage in harsh weather conditions.

Hundreds of women and girls arrested

Arbitrary Arrests of Hundreds of Women and Girls According to the statement, “hundreds” of Palestinian women and girls have been arbitrarily detained since October 7th and subjected to “inhuman and degrading treatment,” including sexual assault, beating, and deprivation of food, medicine, and menstrual products.

The experts expressed “shock” at reports of arbitrary executions of Palestinian women and children who were either seeking shelter or fleeing Israeli aggression.

The experts said, “Some were reportedly carrying pieces of white fabric when they were killed by the Israeli army.”

A woman shot dead while her grandson waved a white flag

A Woman’s Grandson Waving a White Flag Shot Dead In January, a video emerged showing Hala Rasheed Abdel-Ati being shot while her grandson waved a white flag as they attempted to flee from Gaza City.

The statement emphasized that an unknown number of Palestinian women and children have disappeared after contact with the Israeli army.

The experts also received “disturbing reports of at least one infant being forcibly transferred by the occupying army to Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, with their whereabouts still unknown.”

Israeli Massacre in Northern Gaza: Pregnant Women Executed while Holding White Flags on Their Way to the Hospital (Watch) Israel Responds with Allegations Israel has rejected these accusations, calling them “baseless and despicable.”

The occupying authorities claimed, “It is clear that the signatories of the statement are not motivated by truth but by their hatred of Israel and its people.”

Calling for Action

The experts called for an independent investigation into the allegations, which they said “amount to serious crimes under international criminal law, prosecutable under the Rome Statute.”

They added, “Those responsible for these crimes must be held accountable, and victims and their families have the right to full justice and redress.”

In December, the Palestinian Authority’s Prisoners and Liberated Affairs Authority confirmed that at least 142 females – including elderly women and children – are currently held in Israeli prisons.

The authority, in a joint statement with the Palestinian Prisoners Club, warned of “horrific crimes” being committed against female prisoners.