1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing to highlight the deeply concerning & ongoing issue of forced disappearances of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the subsequent torture endured by detainees in military detention camps. Investigative reporting by CNN & The Guardian exposes the systematic mistreatment & abuse faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli concentration camps, as well as the alarming scale of disappearances occurring in the region. The most recent CNN report provides details & images of the conditions and human rights abuses endured by Palestinian detainees at the Sde Teiman facility in the Negev desert. These centres are by definition, concentration camps. According to Israeli whistleblowers, detainees are subjected to extreme physical restraint, including being blindfolded, handcuffed, and confined to enclosures under harsh conditions. Reports indicate physical violence, including beatings, amputations due to injuries sustained from constant handcuffing, & medical procedures performed by underqualified personnel without anaesthesia. The treatment of detained Palestinians in these camps is a continuation of the violent tactics the Israeli military has employed in the light of day in Gaza. Evidently, this dehumanising culture of abuse is systemic in the IDF. The Guardian’s report in April exposed the extent of the detainee crisis, with “tens of thousands” of individuals disappearing in Gaza, their fate unknown & their voices silenced. This ongoing campaign of forced disappearances represents a grave violation of international law & a blatant disregard for the fundamental rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. In a letter addressed to the Israeli government, a former detention camp worker warns that “the facilities’ operations do not comply with a single section among those dealing with health in the Incarceration of Unlawful Combatants Law.” We cannot remain silent in the face of such grave atrocities. It is humanity’s collective responsibility to stand up for justice, accountability, & the inherent dignity of every individual. The situation in Gaza is beyond critical, as war crimes and atrocities continue to be committed by Israel with impunity. The invasion of Rafah represents the culmination of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people, & immediate action is needed. The inaction of governments around the world only serves to perpetuate the cycle of impunity & enables further abuses to occur unchecked. Words alone are insufficient; we must demand concrete action to hold Israel accountable for its actions. I implore you to stand by these directives & take immediate steps to halt ALL arms sales to Israel, sanction the apartheid state, implement a two-way trade embargo and freeze all overseas assets belonging to the rogue state. Failure to act in the face of this grave humanitarian crisis is not acceptable. As my elected official, you bear a responsibility to halt this genocide & lend your voice to ending this atrocity.