A United Nations expert has issued a stark warning over what she describes as the widespread and systematic use of torture against Palestinians, portraying daily life under occupation as marked by continuous physical and psychological suffering. Presenting her latest findings in Geneva, Francesca Albanese argued that the scale and pattern of abuses point to a broader, deeply entrenched system operating amid the ongoing genocidal war.

According to the report, thousands of Palestinians have been detained in recent years, including children, with many held without charge under conditions described as inhumane. The findings outline allegations of severe mistreatment, including beatings, deprivation of food and medical care, and detention in degrading environments. The report suggests that such practices extend beyond prison walls, describing what it calls an “environment of coercion” affecting daily life across the occupied territories.

The document also raises alarm over reported deaths in custody and cases of enforced disappearance, pointing to what it characterises as a climate of impunity. United Nations mechanisms were invoked to stress that states have legal obligations not to support actors implicated in violations of international law, including through arms transfers or continued cooperation.

In her remarks, Albanese questioned why international engagement with Israel continues despite these findings, calling for stronger measures, including economic and military disengagement. She warned that without decisive international action, the humanitarian situation, particularly in Gaza, may deteriorate further, framing the current phase as part of a broader and escalating pattern linked to the ongoing genocidal war.