A report published by the U.N. Human Rights Office on Wednesday highlighted the arbitrary and secretive detention of thousands of Palestinians by Israeli authorities since October 7.

According to the report, these detainees, including men, women, children, doctors, journalists, and human rights defenders, have been held in "deplorable conditions" without charges or trial.

The report states, “The large number of Palestinian men, women, children, doctors, journalists, and human rights defenders have been detained since October 7, most of them without charges or trial and held in deplorable conditions.”

Many of those detained and later released reported being subjected to "torture or other forms of ill-treatment, including severe beatings, electrocution, being forced to remain in stress positions for prolonged periods, or waterboarding."

The report also notes that at least 53 detainees from Gaza and the West Bank have died in Israeli custody since the onset of the conflict.

The U.N. report highlights particularly harsh conditions in military-run detention facilities, where detainees reported being held in "cage-like facilities, stripped naked for prolonged periods, wearing only diapers." The report also documents instances of sexual and gender-based violence against detainees.

Volker Türk, the U.N. human rights chief, expressed concern over what he described as Israel's "flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law." Israeli authorities have acknowledged investigations into alleged abuse by soldiers, particularly in the Sde Teiman detention center in the Negev desert.

The report also notes that Israeli forces have detained thousands of Palestinians, including men, boys, women, and girls, transferring them to detention centers and prisons in Israel and the occupied West Bank. Many of these detainees have been held in prolonged secret and incommunicado detention, raising concerns of enforced disappearance.

The report mentions that Israel has denied the International Committee of the Red Cross access to Palestinian detainees since October 7.

The 23-page report, based on interviews with Palestinians, released detainees, and other witnesses, as well as input from civil society organizations and Israeli and Palestinian officials, was shared with the governments of Israel and the State of Palestine for factual comment. The Israeli mission in Geneva did not respond to requests for comment.

The U.N. report also criticizes the Palestinian Authority for engaging in arbitrary detention and torture in the West Bank, often to suppress political opposition. The report describes conditions and practices used to extract confessions, including beatings and prolonged stress positions.

Accounts from released hostages in Gaza detail the harsh conditions they endured, including physical abuse and witnessing sexual violence against other hostages.

High Commissioner Türk emphasized the protections under international humanitarian law for all detainees, calling for the immediate release of all hostages held in Gaza and the release of all arbitrarily detained Palestinians by Israel.