Israel to United Nations: I’m Not Lying But I’m Beautifying

By: Ayman Okeil
Who among us has not watched the movie “I’m Not Lying But I’m Beautifying,” starring the great artist Ahmed Zaki, based on a story by the late writer Ihsan Abdel Quddous? Israeli occupation authority seems to have studied the theme of this movie and is currently attempting to promote it in its bid to regain favor with world public opinion. In December 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Health submitted a report to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture regarding hostage-taking as a form of torture, focusing on the legal frameworks for supporting victims and their families. This topic is slated for the Special Rapporteur’s next report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The report outlines the situation of hostages returned by Palestinian factions under a truce agreement reached on November 22, 2023, mediated by Egypt, the United States, and Qatar. The occupation authority claims that these hostages endured brutal conditions.
According to the report, the Israeli Ministry of Health stated that the hostages held by Palestinian factions were starved, resulting in malnutrition that caused them to lose between 8 and 15 kg of weight. However, even if this claim is accepted, the report fails to address the primary cause of starvation in the Gaza Strip: the Israeli occupation authority, which has imposed obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid, particularly food supplies, since the onset of military operations. Consequently, 50,000 children in the Gaza Strip are suffering from severe malnutrition. The report also includes phrases such as “allegations that prisoners were subjected to other forms of abuse amounting to torture.” Given the language used in some sections, even the Ministry of Health of the occupying authority did not fully confirm the claims regarding the treatment of prisoners. Moreover, the occupying authority should have responded to inquiries from the Special Rapporteur, acknowledging that Palestinian prisoners held by it were subjected to torture.
Regardless of the content of the report submitted by the occupying authority to the Special Rapporteur on Torture, it appears that Israel continues to face accusations regarding its engagement with international mechanisms for the protection of human rights. Special procedures are among the non-contractual mechanisms for human rights protection established by the UN. The occupying authority also permitted the Special Rapporteur on Torture to visit settlements attacked by Palestinian factions on October 7, 2023. I believe that this interest is not only aimed at promoting misleading narratives but also serves to beautify the image of the occupying authority before the international community and world public opinion. This follows a significant loss of sympathy due to its war on Gaza, which has targeted civilians and undermined principles of international law. According to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on November 5, 2024, this conflict has resulted in over 40,000 deaths, more than 102,000 injuries, and 10,000 individuals missing under the rubble.