UN report describes abuse, dire conditions in Israeli detention
Gazans released from Israeli detention described graphic scenes of physical abuse in testimonies gathered by United Nations workers, according to a report released by UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.
Palestinian detainees described being made to sit on their knees for hours on end with their hands tied while blindfolded, being deprived of food and water and being urinated on, among other humiliations, the report said. Others described being badly beaten with metal bars or the butts of guns and boots, according to the report, or forced into cages and attacked by dogs.
The New York Times has not interviewed the witnesses who spoke to UNRWA aid workers and could not independently verify their accounts. None of the witnesses was quoted by name. Still, some of the testimonies in the report matched accounts provided to The Times by more than a dozen freed detainees and their relatives in January, who spoke of beatings and harsh interrogations.
Israeli forces have arrested thousands of Gazans during their six-month campaign against Hamas, the Palestinian armed group. The Israeli military says it arrests those suspected of involvement in Hamas and other groups, but women, children and older people have also been detained, according to the UNRWA report.
The Israeli military and the Israeli prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the report. But asked about similar accusations of abuse in the past, Israeli officials have said detainees are held according to the law and that their basic rights are respected.
UNRWA staff gathered testimonies from more than 100 released Gazans arriving at the
available in October. When it did become available, many people were unable to access it due to a slow website.
The U.S. Department of Education, which administers the FAFSA, said last week that up to 16% of the FAFSA applications submitted require some kind of correction. Common corrections include missing requirements such as a student or parent signature, consent and approval from the student to retrieve federal tax information, or consent and approval from the parent to retrieve FTI.
After FAFSA forms were able to be submitted, the U.S. Department of Education announced in early April they had discovered a problem with how a vendor calculated Institutional Student Information Records, a document created after the FAFSA has been filled out.
According to the Department of Education, approximately 30% of FAFSA forms are potentially affected by known processing or data errors. This could include overlap with some FAFSA forms that require student corrections, the agency said.
More than 7 million FAFSA applications have been submitted, according to the agency.
But several analyses of the data released by the
U.S. Department of Education has shown FAFSA completion is down this year compared to previous years — a potential problem for universities and colleges, because not being able to afford college is a common reason cited for dropping out of college or not attending at all.
The National College Attainment Network said
FAFSA completion is down 40% this year among high school seniors compared to this time last year.
“Again, we recognize the hardship the delays have caused,” Miguel A. Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education, said in a letter sent to colleges last week. “We see your tremendous efforts, and we appreciate your patience. We want to help every student and every college that requests it — and we’ll continue to do so.”
Ashley Overman, a college counselor at the Montgomery County Educational Service Center, said she is setting up times to be at various high schools this week, including Brookville, Fairmont and West Carrollton, to assist with FAFSA questions. She is also available via Zoom and phone call for people to ask questions. You can book an appointment at calendly.com/ ashley-overman.