A/HRC/19/20 9. The Palestinian armed groups that fire these rockets and mortars are responsible for the related violations of international humanitarian law. As noted above, Hamas claimed direct responsibility for one of these attacks during the reporting period. In addition, the de facto authorities in Gaza failed to take measures to ensure that other such attacks were not carried out. Yet it appears that the de facto authorities have some capacity to stop or reduce the number of indiscriminate rocket attacks launched by other Palestinian armed groups. This can be inferred from the fact that during the reporting period there have been significant periods of time during which no single rocket was launched in the direction of Israeli territory from Gaza. This was the case, for example, in the period following the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas in May 2011 and in the period preceding the conclusion of the prisoner swap agreement in October 2011. 2. Detention and treatment of prisoners 10. Reports of arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of detainees and alleged enforced disappearances committed by different branches of the de facto authorities‟ security forces, including the internal security apparatus and the antidrug police, continued during the reporting period. OHCHR monitored at least 10 cases of ill-treatment in detention, including a number of cases of torture. In most cases the detainees were subject to “shabeh”9 and beatings. In a number of cases persons suspected of sympathizing with Fatah were ill-treated and forced to sign an oath by which they commit not to participate in Fatah activities. In one case, following a dispute between Fatah- and Hamas-affiliated students at a university in Gaza, at least three students were repeatedly summoned for interviews over a period of a week by the internal security apparatus. Each time they were detained for several hours, subjected to shabeh and beaten. During the last interview they were asked to sign an oath not to participate in Fatah activities. 11. Some cases of detention and ill-treatment of former members of the Palestinian Authority security forces were reported. On 1 January 2011, a former member of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service (PSS) was detained in his home, together with a neighbour, by the de facto authorities‟ security forces. During their transfer to the Beit Lahia police station, they were beaten and once at the station they were subject to shabeh and beaten and interrogated in relation to the alleged firing of fireworks on the occasion of the anniversary of the Fatah movement.10 They were released the following morning. OHCHR received information concerning the alleged detention and disappearance of a 43-year-old woman by the de facto authorities‟ security forces in April 2011. She is a Palestinian Authority police officer and an active member of Fatah. Since her detention her family has not received information concerning her whereabouts. 12. Cases of death in custody were reported. In one of the three cases monitored by OHCHR, a 23-year-old man was detained by anti-drug police on 3 June 2011, and brought to a detention centre on Salah El Din street in Deir El Balah, where he was subject to shabeh and beaten for four hours. He was admitted to the intensive care unit of the local hospital suffering from cerebral 9 10 The practice of “shabah” is understood to include stress positions, sensory isolation, sleep deprivation and infliction of pain, and often one or a combination of these methods for prolonged periods. Case monitored by OHCHR. 5