Torture and genocide

Report A/HRC/61/71 of Mrs Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

This last report of Mrs Francesca Albanese will be presented to the Human Rights Council during its 61st session (March-April 2026)

It describes in a documented manner the systematic use of torture and other crual and degrading treatments by Israël against Palestinians, in particular the Palestinian protected persons deprived of their freedom and of any judicial guarantees since October 7th 2023, in blatant violation of all norms of international law.

Such a use constitute an integral part of a policy of domination, collective punishment, of a regime of psychological terror, cruelty and deshumanization designed to break bodies, deprive a people of their dignity, identity, up to their humanity and force them from their land. It also translate a system of destruction designed to inflict pemanent suffering on Palestinians in order to deny them their right to self-determination.

Such a use is constitutive of the international crime of genocide is also a form of torture.

The Special Rapporteur makes various recommendations to the State of Israël, to third states members of the UN (ex. ensure corporate entities and their executives cease all engagements with Israël), and to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC (investigate, prosecute acts of genocide, torture and ill-treatment and request arrest warrants for political and military Israeli officials).