The UN Human Rights Office in Palestine has called for an urgent investigation into allegations of torture and cases of death-in-custody reported by Palestinian prisoners who were detained in Israeli prisons.

In a statement, the UN HRO said: “As a matter of urgency, all cases of deaths in custody and allegations of torture and other ill-treatment must be investigated and accountability ensured.”

The body said it was “seriously concerned at the recent dramatic growth in the number of Palestinians arrested and detained by Israeli security forces across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem”.