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The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) has condemned the Israeli regime for enforcing a policy of “organized torture” against Palestinians.

In a report published on Friday, CAT stated that the occupying regime enforces a deliberate policy of “organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment” against Palestinian abductees, particularly since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza.

The committee expressed “deep concern over repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, water-boarding, use of prolonged stress positions [and] sexual violence” inflicted on Palestinians.

Palestinian prisoners were degraded by “being made to act like animals or being urinated on,” systematically denied medical care, and subjected to excessive restraints, “in some cases resulting in amputation,” the report added.

CAT also condemned the routine application of “unlawful combatants law” to justify the prolonged detention without trial of thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children.

More than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons, according to Palestinian and international human rights groups, with 3,474 Palestinians in “administrative detention,” meaning they are imprisoned without trial for indefinite periods.

The report highlighted the “high proportion of children who are currently detained without charge or on remand,” noting that while Israel sets the age of criminal responsibility at 12, even younger children have been abducted.

Children designated as security prisoners face severe restrictions on family contact, may be subjected to solitary confinement, and are denied access to education, in clear violation of international law.

The committee further suggested that Israel’s policies across the Occupied Territories constitute collective torture against the Palestinian population.

“A range of policies adopted by Israel in the course of its continued unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading living conditions for the Palestinian population,” the report said.

On Thursday, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas condemned the systematic killing and torture of Palestinian abductees in Israeli prisons, urging international action to halt these abuses.

Citing human rights data, Hamas stated that 94 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli prisons since the start of Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“This reflects an organized criminal approach that has turned these prisons into direct killing grounds to eliminate our people,” the resistance movement said.

Hamas called on the international community, the UN, and human rights organizations to immediately pressure Israel to end crimes against prisoners and uphold their rights as guaranteed by all international conventions and norms.

The Israeli regime’s forces have killed two Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip every day since the ceasefire began in early October, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children’s agency said on Friday that Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinians in Gaza even though the agreement was meant to stop the killing.

“Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been injured. That is an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva, reminding that each number in the statistics represents a child whose life had ended violently.

“These are not statistics,” he said. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”

Data from Palestinian factions, human rights groups, and government bodies recorded since the US-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10 show that Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks, each constituting a separate ceasefire violation.

UNICEF teams say they repeatedly continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of fearful Palestinian children sleeping outdoors with amputated limbs, while others live as orphans in flooded, makeshift shelters.

“I saw this myself in August. There is no safe place for them. The world cannot normalize their suffering,” Pires said, lamenting that the UN could “do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.”

The UNICEF spokesperson warned that with the advent of winter, the risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children will increase.

He warned, “The stakes are incredibly high” for children as winter acts as a threat multiplier, where children have no heating, no insulation, and few blankets. He said respiratory infections rise.

“Too many children have already paid the highest price,” Pires said. “Too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it would stop and that we would protect them.”

“Now we must act like it,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, it has killed nearly 70,000 people in the territory, most of them women and children, and injured over 170,000 more, while reducing most of the structures in the enclave to rubble.

Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas, is observed every year on November 26 to honor the adoption of the Constitution of India and to recognize the visionary effort that shaped the world’s largest democracy.

Historical Background

It’s on November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution.This date is commemorated to acknowledge the completion of nearly three years of drafting, debate, and refinement.

On January 26, 1950, the Constitution came into force, marking India’s transition from a dominion to a sovereign republic.

The date 26 January was chosen to honor the “Purna Swaraj” declaration made in 1930 that marked the relentless efforts & sacrifices of the many. 

Why Constitution Day is Celebrated

* To honor & remember the framers of the Constitution, especially Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, & many others. 

* To remind the citizens of the values, responsibilities, and rights enshrined in the Constitution.

* To promote constitutional values & literacy among students, institutions, and the general public.

* To reaffirm the nation’s commitment to justice, equality, liberty, fraternity and secular values. 

Vision and Significance of the Constitution

It establishes the fundamental political and legal framework for the nation.

Defines the structure, powers and functions of:
    •    The Executive
    •    The Legislature
    •    The Judiciary
    •    Guarantees a comprehensive set of Fundamental Rights, including:

-Equality before law
-Freedom of speech & expression
-Protection of life and personal liberty
-Freedom of religion
-Embeds Directive Principles of State Policy, guiding governance toward social justice and welfare.
-Introduces Fundamental Duties to ensure civic responsibility among citizens.

Key Features Celebrated on Constitution Day

-The Indian constitution is considered one of the longest written constitutions of the world. It’s systematically drafted considering almost all aspects that properly fits to the country. 

-Blend of multiple global constitutional principles while staying rooted in Indian values and realities.

-Framework that balances Federalism, Secularism, Democracy and Rule of Law. This makes everyone-from President to common man-below the law & are equal in the sight of law. 

-Another feature is that it’s based on built-in mechanisms for amendments, ensuring the Constitution grows with changing needs.

Message of the Day

The core ethos of this  Constitution Day is not merely about looking back at history-it’s a reminder of the continuous duty to protect democratic values, respect diversity and uphold the principles that define India as a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic.

Happy Constitution Day to all my compatriots