A new report by a human rights organization reveals the extent of systematic torture practices used by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas on detainees, including beatings and excessive interrogations.
The UN Watch report claims the detainees subjected to these practices include members of the LGBTQ community, human rights activists and Palestinians accused of selling land to Israelis or cooperating with the Jewish state.
The rights group, which is based in Geneva is a non-governmental organization that monitors the performance of the United Nations. In their mission statement the group says it stands at the "forefront in combating racism, antisemitism, and anti-Israel prejudice," at the international body.
In a report published on its website on Tuesday, the group said they would monitor the UN committee on torture, which is convened for a two-day session, to probe if the Palestinians are in compliance with UN policies.
Executive Director Hillel C. Neuer says the evidence shows "torture, other cruel, inhuman and humiliating practices against detainees in jails on the West Bank and in Gaza."
He said dozens of cases were presented to the UN committee in a briefing on Tuesday, ahead of the Palestinian Authority's appearance before the committee, the first since it signed the UN covenant on civil and political rights in 2014.
Neuer said the PA in a 67-page response to the committee, attempted to blame Israel in order to deflect from their actions.
"Their document does not contain information about their widespread use of torture, or the steps taken to prevent it," he said.
"It also does not contain particular cases, justice offered to the victims or actions taken to prevent basic human rights violations," he said.
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UN Watch claims members of the LGBTQ community in the Palestinian territories are persecuted and victimized. "Those who managed to escape, recounted the torture they endured and that they were made to name others in the community, forced to marry and suffer constant abuse."
Neuer called on the Palestinian representative to the UN in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, to be forthcoming and honest about the use of torture by the PA to the committee.