A/HRC/31/73 Special Rapporteur stresses that administrative detention is only exceptionally permissible for the shortest possible periods of time. Hundreds of Palestinians being held, now including children, often under secret evidence, and for up to six-month terms that can be renewed indefinitely, is not consistent with international human rights standards. It is fundamental that those suspected of wrongdoing be able to defend themselves and to challenge the detention. The Government of Israel should promptly charge or release all administrative detainees. D. Accountability 43. The Special Rapporteur notes that Israel supported the following recommendation: fight impunity by thorough and impartial investigations on all the allegations of human rights violations, including when these allegations involve members of security forces or settlers (see A/HRC/25/15, para. 136.66, and A/HRC/25/15/Add.1, para. 35). However, concerns remain about a persistent and general lack of accountability for violations and crimes against Palestinians (see A/70/392, sect. V). 44. The 31 July 2015 arson attack on a family home in the West Bank village of Duma is an emblematic case illustrating the lack of accountability for the killings of Palestinians, including in incidents which are strongly suspected to have been acts of settler violence (see A/70/392, para. 47).53 On 2 December 2015, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority expressed regret at the slow progress in bringing the perpetrators in this case to justice. 54 In another high-profile case, the Special Rapporteur notes reports in Israeli media of the conviction in November 2015 of two suspects in the murder in July 2014 of 16-year-old Mohammad Khdeir. The conviction of the third and main suspect is reportedly pending a psychiatric evaluation. 55 45. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in 2015, settler-related violence continued at a weekly average rate of two Palestinian casualties and three incidents of damage to Palestinian-owned property. The Office highlighted a marked increase in settler violence reported in and around Hebron in October and November 2015, with 61 attacks causing injuries to Palestinians or property damage. 56 46. Cases of Palestinian fatalities involving Israeli security forces and failures to appropriately investigate and prosecute have also contributed to the sense of impunity for crimes committed against Palestinians. According to information released in December 2015 by an Israeli non-governmental organization, even when the Israeli Military Police Criminal Investigations Division has launched criminal investigations into alleged offences by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians, indictment rates are low: reportedly, over the past five years, only 3 per cent of criminal investigations resulted in indictments.57 Concerns of 53 54 55 56 57 14 See also High Commissioner for Human Rights, press release, “Zeid urges calm and restraint in West Bank amid deadly escalation”, 8 October 2015. Statement by the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, on the Dawabsha family case, Jerusalem, 2 December 2015. Nir Hasson, “Court finds two guilty in Abu Khdeir murder; conviction of main suspect suspended”, Haaretz, 30 November 2015. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Protection of civilians report: 24-30 November 2015”, 4 December 2015, and “Humanitarian Bulletin - November 2015”, p. 3. Yesh-din, Data Sheet, “Law Enforcement on IDF Soldiers suspected of harming Palestinians: Figures for 2014”, December 2015.