Israel says investigation underway in Palestinian prisoner abuse case

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel is conducting a “robust investigation” of suspects accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner and is committed to upholding international legal standards regarding the treatment of detainees, the foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday.

The U.N. special rapporteur on torture on Friday condemned what she called a “particularly gruesome” 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 prosecutors have requested that soldiers accused of abusing a Palestinian detainee be placed under house arrest with their detention extended to next Thursday.

Israeli media reports said the soldiers have been accused of sexually abusing a member of an elite Hamas unit at the Sde Teiman detention facility in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

“Israel remains steadfast in its commitment to the rule of law and the humane treatment of all detainees with all allegations of violence of any sort being methodically investigated by Israeli authorities,” the ministry said.

The United Nations says it has received multiple reports of alleged torture against Palestinians detained since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed Israel in a shock assault that killed some 1,200 people.

(Reporting by Maytaal Angel; Editing by Alex Richardson)