International campaign launched against sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails

Palestinian prisoner groups and human‑rights NGOs announced an international campaign to expose and prosecute sexual and physical abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Representatives of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, the Committee for Prisoners and Released Persons and other organizations held a press conference in Al‑Bireh, West Bank, presenting testimonies from former inmates who described systematic rape, genital torture and other violations.

The campaign calls on the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, UN special mechanisms and the parties to the Geneva Conventions to launch independent investigations and hold perpetrators accountable. Organisers cite a sharp rise in sexual‑violence reports since the October 2023 conflict escalation and reference recent UN OHCHR, Amnesty International and Palestinian human‑rights reports documenting the alleged crimes as war crimes and crimes against humanity.