Experts urge humane treatment and immediate release of Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians
Press releases
Special Procedures
18 February 2025
GENEVA -- Human rights experts* have repeatedly condemned the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees and Israeli hostages. Today they denounced the degrading public display by Hamas of Israeli hostages released in Gaza on 8 and 15 February 2025.
"International humanitarian law prohibits 'outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment'. Parading hostages as trophies of war, in a propaganda spectacle, clearly violates this rule. It is also distressing to their families," the experts said.
They noted that some of those released were coerced into holding certificates on stage and conducting interviews on Hamas television testifying to good treatment, beneath political banners and surrounded by armed militants. An earlier release saw an intimidating scene of a young female hostage shoved by a crowd.
Three of those released on 8 February appeared malnourished. "Humanitarian law requires humane treatment of all detainees. The physical condition of the hostages suggests serious mistreatment," the experts said.
The experts stressed that violations of humanitarian law provisions are war crimes and further violate the absolute prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
They recalled that international humanitarian law prohibits and criminalises hostage-taking. It is also a crime in non-international armed conflict under the 1979 International Convention on the Taking of Hostages.
"Hostage taking negates the humanity of victims and is agonising for their loved ones. No one should be treated as a means to a political end. All people arbitrarily deprived of liberty must be immediately and unconditionally released," the experts said.
UN experts have repeatedly condemned the taking of hostages since it first occurred. Six groups of hostages of Israeli and other nationalities have been released since the ceasefire commenced and 70 of the 251 people taken hostage have not been released and 34 of these are reportedly deceased.
They have also repeatedly condemned Israel's mistreatment and abuses of Palestinian detainees, including starvation, beatings and sexual violence, which may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and war crimes. "Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians since 7 October 2023," the experts said. "In many cases their detention has been arbitrary and incommunicado, along with dozens of reported enforced disappearances. Perpetrators of all international crimes must be held accountable."
"We urge both Israel and Palestinian armed groups to release all those illegally detained and immediately permit unfettered access to all detainees by the International Committee of the Red Cross, provide necessary medical care, and enable contact with their families," they said.
The experts called on all parties to respect the three stages of the ceasefire agreement, ensure the continuing release of all hostages and Palestinians arbitrarily detained, reveal the fate and whereabouts of all forcibly disappeared persons, respectfully return the deceased to their families, ensure the entry of humanitarian aid, and permit the return of displaced Palestinians.
"Decades of brutal violence and dehumanisation in the context of Israel's prolonged occupation has not guaranteed security for anyone in the region," the experts said. "We urge independent investigations and accountability for all violations, and a comprehensive political settlement based on full respect for international law."
*The experts: Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Morris Tidball- Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Gabriella Citroni (Chair- Rapporteur), Grażyna Baranowska (Vice-Chair), Aua Baldé, Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez and Mohammed Al-Obaidi, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; and Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/
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