On 22 December 2025, the UN Committee against Torture published its concluding observations on Israel's sixth periodic review. What they contain is stronger than most reports suggest: the Committee sees evidence pointing to a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture - and references findings that name war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the actus reus of genocide.
Torture in Israeli detention facilities is not a loss of control - it is the product of a legal and institutional framework that enables abuse, conceals it, and keeps it free from consequences. Three special-law instruments, three agencies, zero indictments in two years: A reconstruction of the detention architecture that has been systematically expanded since 7 October 2023.
Donald Trump presents himself as a peacemaker for Gaza – through the creation of a so-called “Board of Peace.” But behind the humanitarian rhetoric lies a far more disturbing reality.
In Part 1 of this three-part series, I dismantle the origins, historical backdrop, and legal contradictions of this initiative. When those who enabled destruction suddenly claim to deliver peace, the claim itself demands scrutiny.
This first installment exposes why the “Board of Peace” is not a solution, but a structural continuation of power, impunity, and geopolitical coercion. Parts 2 and 3 will reveal who stands to gain – and why Gaza is merely the test case.