US government's reaction to "Welcome to Hell" report: "We support an investigation by the Israeli military into abuses committed by its soldiers against Palestinian detainees"

The White House said reports of rape, torture and abuse of Palestinian detainees by the Israeli military are "deeply disturbing," after evidence and testimony emerged of horrific abuses, particularly at the Sde Teiman military base in the Negev desert.

"We support an investigation by the Israeli military into abuses committed by its soldiers against Palestinian detainees," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.

She added that Israel must ensure accountability for any violations or abuses.

The White House comment came after the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B'Tselem) published a report on Tuesday titled "Welcome to Hell," which documents dozens of cases of torture and abuse of Palestinian prisoners.

Yesterday, Israeli media broadcast leaked footage from Sde Teiman prison, documenting a sexual assault on a Palestinian prisoner by soldiers who tried to hide their faces because they knew there were surveillance cameras.

Read the report, "Welcome to Hell"