JERUSALEM: Israel has conducted a systematic policy of prisoner abuse and torture since the start of the war in Gaza, subjecting Palestinian detainees to acts ranging from arbitrary violence to sexual abuse, a report from Israeli rights group B’Tselem said on Monday.
The group said the report was based on interviews with 55 Palestinians from Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, who were detained in Israeli prisons since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that set off the war, most of them without being tried.
“The testimonies clearly indicate a systematic, institutional policy focused on the continual abuse and torture of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel,” the report said.
The report was issued days after the Israeli military detained nine soldiers accused of severe abuse of a prisoner in a military facility in the Negev desert. According to Israeli press reports, the soldiers are accused of sexually abusing a member of an elite Hamas unit.
A spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service said that all prisoners were treated according to the law and all basic rights were fully applied by professionally trained guards.
“We are not aware of the claims you described and as far as we know, no such events have occurred under IPS responsibility,” the spokesperson said, adding that detainees had the right to file complaints that would be fully examined and investigated.
B’Tselem detailed allegations that Palestinian prisoners were subjected to arbitrary beatings, degrading and humiliating treatment and sleep deprivation, as well as “the repeated use of sexual violence, in varying degrees of severity.”
“The overall picture indicates abuse and torture carried out under orders, in utter defiance of Israel’s obligations both under domestic law and international law,” the report said.
Allegations of prisoner abuse have surfaced repeatedly during the war in Gaza, adding to mounting international pressure on Israel over its conduct of the 10 month-old war.
The report from B’Tselem, a group that documents human rights violations by Israel in the occupied West Bank and other areas, said the treatment accorded to prisoners was a deliberate policy implemented under the direction of the hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The prison service spokesperson said that since the Oct. 7 attack, Ben-Gvir had ordered that prison conditions be made more strict to reverse an improvement in conditions allowed previously.
Qadura Fares, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs, reiterated a call for an international commission of inquiry into the treatment of prisoners to hold Israel accountable.
“We have documentation of the crimes committed by Israel against Palestinian detainees in its prisons and we have horrific testimonies of what detainees are subjected to, whether related to torture, rape and other crimes,” he said.
Israeli rights group says Palestinian prisoners subject to systematic abuse
https://arab.news/7j8xz
Israeli rights group says Palestinian prisoners subject to systematic abuse
- Israel subjected Palestinian detainees to arbitrary violence and sexual abuse, says rights group
- Report based on interviews with 55 Palestinians prisoners from Gaza, West Bank and Israel
UN chief calls death and destruction in Gaza the worst he’s seen
- Guterres said: “The level of suffering we are witnessing in Gaza is unprecedented in my mandate as secretary-general of the UN”
UNITED NATIONS: The UN chief said Monday that the United Nations has offered to monitor any ceasefire in Gaza and demanded an end to the worst death and destruction he has seen in his more than seven-year tenure.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an interview with The Associated Press that it’s “unrealistic” to think the UN could play a role in Gaza’s future, either by administering the territory or providing a peacekeeping force, because Israel is unlikely to accept a UN role.
But he said “the UN will be available to support any ceasefire.” The United Nations has had a military monitoring mission in the Middle East, known as UNTSO, since 1948, and he said, “from our side, this was one of the hypotheses that we’ve put on the table.”
“Of course, we’ll be ready to do whatever the international community asked for us,” Guterres said. “The question is whether the parties would accept it, and in particular whether Israel would accept it.”
Israel’s military assault on Gaza, triggered by Hamas’ attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, has stretched for 11 months, with recent ceasefire talks failing to reach a breakthrough and violence in the West Bank reaching new highs.
Stressing the urgency of a ceasefire now, Guterres said: “The level of suffering we are witnessing in Gaza is unprecedented in my mandate as secretary-general of the United Nations. I’ve never seen such a level of death and destruction as we are seeing in Gaza in the last few months.”
The war has killed over 40,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count. The war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have accused the UN of being anti-Israel and have been highly critical of UN humanitarian operations in Gaza. Facing protests at home and increasing urgency from allies, Netanyahu has pushed back against pressure for a ceasefire deal and declared that “no one will preach to me.”
Looking beyond a ceasefire, Guterres stressed that a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not only viable, “it’s the only solution.”
The United States and others support Palestinian statehood, but Netanyahu, who is leading the most conservative government in Israel’s history, has opposed calls for a two-state solution.
Guterres asked rhetorically whether the alternative is viable.
“It means that you have 5 million Palestinians living there without any rights in a state,” he said. “Is it possible? Can we accept an idea similar to what we had in South Africa in the past?“
He was referring to South Africa’s apartheid system from 1948 until the early 1990s when its minority white population marginalized and segregated people of color, especially Black people.
“I do not think you can have two peoples living together if they are not in a basis of equality, and if they are not in a basis of respect — mutual respect of their rights,” Guterres said. “So the two-state solution is, in my opinion, a must if we want to have peace in the Middle East.”
Jordanian FM hosts EU observers ahead of parliamentary elections
- Ayman Safadi hosted the Vice President of the European Parliament and head of the European Election Observer Mission Zeljana Zovko
LONDON: The Jordanian foreign minister on Monday welcomed to Amman EU observers who will monitor the kingdom’s parliamentary elections due to be held on Tuesday.
Ayman Safadi hosted the Vice President of the European Parliament and head of the European Election Observer Mission Zeljana Zovko, and members of her delegation.
Safadi and the EU team discussed ways of enhancing relations between Jordan and the EU, and the importance of the partnership and cooperation between the country and the bloc, Jordan Press Agency reported.
The minister praised the aid that EU member states will provide to Jordan’s economic and development programs in order to help the country deal with the repercussions of regional crises, especially the burden of hosting Syrian refugees.
The meeting also touched on developments in the Gaza Strip and Israeli escalation in the West Bank. Officials discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as ways to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave.
Safadi underlined the importance of the EU’s role in these efforts.
Lebanon judge orders former central bank chief to remain in jail
- Salameh was long feted as a financial wizard in Lebanon but left office with his reputation shredded by corruption charges at home and abroad
BEIRUT: A Lebanese judge ruled on Monday that Riad Salameh, the country’s former central bank governor, will remain in jail while facing an investigation into corruption charges involving tens of millions of dollars in public funds.
Beirut First Investigative Judge Bilal Halawi issued an arrest warrant against Salameh after the former official had earlier been detained for questioning over a series of financial crimes, including money laundering and the embezzlement of $42 million, during his time at the Banque du Liban.
Salameh was taken to the Justice Palace in Beirut from the headquarters of the Internal Security Forces Directorate, where he had been held since last week.
Secrecy surrounded Salameh’s transfer, with mock convoys used to mislead the media and dozens of angry depositors who came to the Justice Palace to demand the former official remain in custody.
Salameh left Halawi’s office in handcuffs after more than two hours of questioning.
Security staff prevented people lining the Justice Palace’s corridors, including judicial officers, from photographing Salameh as he entered and left.
Several attorneys attended Salameh’s first session following his detention.
Halawi scheduled a second hearing for Salameh next Thursday and requested the testimony of several witnesses.
Salameh, 74, was central bank governor for three decades until July 2023.
He had long been regarded as a financial expert, but left office with his reputation badly tarnished amid accusations of corruption and the catastrophic collapse of the Lebanese financial system in 2019.
Salameh’s media office said that he had previously cooperated in more than 20 criminal investigations in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and has been cooperating with the investigation since his detention.
Following the 2019 financial crisis, Salameh is facing a large number of legal cases in both Lebanon and European countries.
Caretaker Justice Minister Henry Khoury said that the red notice issued by Interpol against Salameh was still in effect.
He also said that Salameh’s case was still pending before the French Court of Cassation, where his lawyers had appealed the decision issued by the French Court of Appeal in Paris to confirm the seizure of his property.
Salameh has denied previous corruption accusations.
Halawi on Monday began questioning Salameh amid heavy security.
The former official appeared calm during questioning, and at one point Halawi told him he could sit down if he was tired.
The judge told Salameh: “I would like you to give answers that convince the public opinion.”
Questioned about the $42 million, Salameh said that it was not depositors’ money, but from consultations.
Last Tuesday, Prosecutor Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar detained Salameh after questioning him for three hours.
Mark Habka, Salameh’s lawyer, said: “Salameh’s interrogation is a routine procedure, and the judge is obliged to issue an arrest warrant to complete the interrogation later.”
He stressed that “the circumstances of the session were not normal because the media misled the public opinion and portrayed Salameh as a fugitive from justice, while he willingly came to the session.”
“There are several politicians who do not want the truth to be revealed, and Salameh is speaking in the sessions based on documents and naming individuals,” he said.
El-Sisi, Borrell discuss Gaza crisis, Egypt-EU ties
- Ahmad Fahmy, spokesman for the presidency, said El-Sisi and Borrell also discussed the situation in Gaza and the Middle East
CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, to discuss relations and regional issues.
El-Sisi received Borrell and his accompanying delegation in Cairo.
Their meeting discussed strong relations between Egypt and the EU, with both sides commending the momentum of cooperation.
During the talks, the two sides confirmed their commitment to exploring new domains of cooperation, particularly in investment and trade, as well as energy, migration and environmental issues.
Ahmad Fahmy, spokesman for the presidency, said El-Sisi and Borrell also discussed the situation in Gaza and the Middle East.
They reviewed efforts by Egypt and its partners to achieve a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages and detainees, to help end the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
El-Sisi warned against the danger of escalation, which he said would result in an expansion of the conflict.
He highlighted the responsibilities of the international community and the EU to exert intense pressure on Israel toward reaching an agreement to end the war.
Any deal must address violence and the escalation in the West Bank, in a manner that defuses regional tensions and restores security and stability in the region, El-Sisi said.
Borrell expressed deep appreciation for Egypt’s stabilizing role in the region, highlighting the EU’s interest in consultations with Cairo to maintain regional stability.
El-Sisi commended Borrell for his objective and fair stances over the past period.
US, UK strike Houthi targets for second day
- Yemen’s prime minister arrives in Doha to discuss Qatar financial assistance, with focus on electricity sector
AL-MUKALLA: US and UK jets struck Houthi targets in Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah on Monday, the second wave of strikes on Houthi-held territory in less than 48 hours.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah channel reported that US and UK aircraft carried out one strike on the Al-Jabanah region of Hodeidah but provided no information on the targeted locations, casualties or damage.
The attack in Hodeidah came a day after the Houthis said that the two countries had conducted three airstrikes on unidentified targets in the Maytam region, north of Ibb province.
At the same time, US Central Command said on Sunday evening that over the past 24 hours, its forces had destroyed three Houthi drones and two missile systems in a Houthi-controlled Yemeni area, all of which were threatening US-led coalition ships and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes.
Houthi attacks on ships led the US to form a coalition of marine task forces to defend vessels, designate the Houthis as a terrorist group and launch strikes against Houthi-controlled Yemen, including Sanaa, Saada, Ibb and Hodeidah, in collaboration with the UK.
Hodeidah, Yemen’s only major coastal city under Houthi control, has received most of the US and UK strikes since January, as the militia is said to have used its coasts to launch explosive-laden and remote-controlled boats to attack ships.
The Houthis say their forces are only targeting Israeli-linked ships to pressure Tel Aviv into ending its Gaza war.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s government requested financial assistance from GCC countries on Monday to help shore up its faltering economy, stabilize the currency and pay public employees.
Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, met UAE Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Hamad Al-Zaab in Riyadh on Monday to discuss “necessary” financial support to boost the country’s economy, improve Yemenis’ living conditions and assist government reforms, according to the official news agency, SABA.
It came as Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak arrived in Doha on Sunday to discuss Qatari financial assistance to Yemen, particularly in the electricity sector.
“The government is looking for new support from its brothers in the GCC countries,” a knowledgeable Yemeni government official who requested anonymity told Arab News.
The Yemeni government has lost almost 70 percent of its revenue since the Houthis attacked oil terminals in the provinces of Shabwa and Hadramout, causing a complete halt to oil exports.
The Yemeni riyal has continued to fall against the dollar, reaching about 1900 in government-controlled areas, compared to 215 riyals in 2015.
Public employees, including teachers and military personnel, have complained that their salaries have not been increased and that they are paid late.
