Hamas calls for int’l trials of Israeli officials over prisoner abuses

GAZA, June 26 (YPA) – Hamas movement on Friday called for Israeli occupation officials to be prosecuted before international courts over systematic torture and abuses against Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The movement also urged increased international pressure to secure the protection and release of detainees and to ensure accountability for those responsible.

In a statement marking the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, observed annually on June 26, Hamas said the occasion comes as thousands of Palestinian prisoners in the occupation’s detention facilities continue to face systematic mistreatment and violations of their basic rights.

The statement added that detainees are subjected to psychological and physical abuse, denied adequate medical care, family visits, and sufficient food, and held in solitary confinement and harsh detention conditions, which it said violate international laws and conventions.

It said the observance of the international day should serve to highlight the conditions of Palestinian prisoners and called on the United Nations, the international community, and human rights organizations to take practical measures to end the alleged violations and press for the release of detainees.

The movement’s statement also called for greater transparency regarding the conditions and whereabouts of Palestinian prisoners, urging that families be allowed to visit detainees and that humanitarian and human rights organizations be granted access to Israeli detention facilities.

It concluded by calling on international legal and human rights bodies to pursue legal action against the occupation’s officials over alleged abuses against Palestinian prisoners and to work toward ensuring accountability under international law.