US is ‘looking into’ Israeli violations against Palestinian detainees 

The US said yesterday that it was “looking into” reports of violations committed by Israel against Palestinians in a secret detention centre in the Negev Desert and urged Tel Aviv to conduct a “comprehensive” investigation in this regard.

In response to a question about a CNN investigation into human rights violations, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that they had seen the report and that “We’re concerned by them and we’re looking into these and other allegations of abuse against Palestinians in detention.”

He also urged Israel to treat all detainees “humanely, with dignity and in accordance with international law and it must respect detainees’ human rights.”

Patel stressed that the US told Israel it has an “obligation to thoroughly investigate credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law.”

On Friday, a CNN investigation revealed violations committed by Israel against Palestinians in a secret detention centre in the Negev Desert.

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The investigation quoted Israeli witnesses stating that “Palestinian detainees live in extremely harsh conditions in a military base that has become a detention centre in the Negev Desert.”

One witness said, “Foul odours fill the detention centre, where men are crammed, blindfolded and prevented from speaking or moving.”

He added, “Doctors in the detention centre sometimes amputate prisoners’ limbs due to injuries resulting from constant handcuffing, and medical procedures are sometimes performed by unqualified doctors. The air is filled with the smell of neglected wounds left to rot.”

In response to CNN‘s request for a comment, the Israeli occupation army said: “The IDF ensures proper conduct towards the detainees in custody. Any allegation of misconduct by IDF soldiers is examined and dealt with accordingly.”

Hamas said in a statement on Saturday that what the American network’s report revealed “is only a fraction of the atrocities committed against these detainees.”