Al Jazeera Live /July 18, 2024

Amnesty International has stated that Israeli authorities must cease the indefinite and undisclosed detention of Palestinians from the occupied Gaza Strip, conducted under the “Unlawful Combatants Law,” as this practice represents a severe violation of international law.

A recent report by the organization documented the cases of 27 Palestinian detainees who were released, including 5 women, 21 men, and a 14-year-old child. These individuals were held for up to four and a half months without being allowed to contact a lawyer or their families.

All detainees interviewed by Amnesty International reported being subjected to torture and various forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment while being held incommunicado, with some cases amounting to enforced disappearances.

The report explains that the “Unlawful Combatants Law” grants the Israeli military sweeping powers to detain anyone from Gaza suspected of engaging in hostile activities against Israel or posing a threat to state security, for indefinitely renewable periods without needing to provide evidence supporting these allegations.

Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, stated: “While international humanitarian law permits the detention of individuals under occupation for compelling security reasons, there must be safeguards to prevent indefinite or arbitrary detention and to prohibit torture and other forms of mistreatment.”

Callamard added: “Our documentation reveals the Israeli authorities’ use of the Unlawful Combatants Law to arbitrarily and systematically detain Palestinian civilians from Gaza, holding them in prison for extended periods without any evidence that they pose a security threat, and without adhering to minimum due process standards.”

She urged Israeli authorities to immediately repeal this law and release those detained arbitrarily under its provisions.

Amnesty International's report emphasizes that Israel is obligated under international law to ensure humane treatment for all detainees, including “individuals suspected of belonging to armed groups,” and to allow them access to lawyers and international monitoring bodies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Israeli Prison Service informed the Center for Individual Rights that 1,402 Palestinians were detained under the Unlawful Combatants Law as of July 1, 2024. This number excludes those held for an initial 45-day period allowed by the law for detaining Palestinians from Gaza without formal charges.

Source: Al Jazeera Live + Amnesty International