Ambassador Tamer Almassri
By George Swarei
In a scathing statement, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Zimbabwe, Dr. Tamer Almassri, has denounced the widespread torture, rape, and human rights violations inflicted upon Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli custody.
Dr. Almassri cited the alarming case of Sde Teiman prison in Gaza and other detention centers in the West Bank, where over 9,500 Palestinians, including hundreds of children and women, are currently imprisoned, with around one-third held without charge or trial.
The Ambassador described the inhumane conditions and torture practices suffered by Palestinian detainees, including being tied to beds blindfolded and in diapers, stripped naked, deprived of adequate healthcare, food, water, and sleep, and subjected to electrocutions, blackmail, cigarette burns, and severe sexual and gender-based violence.
Dr. Almassri emphasized that these torture practices are irredeemably unlawful and constitute international crimes, yet are a standard part of Israel’s detention and torture system aimed at punishing Palestinians for resisting occupation.
The Ambassador implored UN Member States to intervene and the International Criminal Court to promptly investigate these consolidated crimes against humanity.
Furthermore, Dr. Almassri condemned the massacre of over 150 people by Israeli forces at al-Tabin school in central Gaza, highlighting the occupation state’s disregard for international law and its policy of cumulative killing and mass massacres.
The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 2023 has risen to 39,929 reported fatalities, with an additional 92,240 individuals sustaining injuries, mostly women and children.
The Ambassador urged the international community to take decisive action to restrain Israeli aggression and compel it to respect international law, warning that continued inaction would only embolden Israel’s belligerence.