Amnesty International called on Israel to end the indefinite detention of Gaza Palestinians and what it called “rampant torture” in its prisons, AFP reports.

“Israeli authorities must end their indefinite incommunicado detention of Palestinians from the occupied Gaza Strip, without charge or trial […] (which is) in flagrant violation of international law,” the rights group said statement.

Amnesty called for the repeal of the Unlawful Combatants Law, amended following the beginning of the Gaza bombardment, which allows Israeli forces to hold people without charge or trial for months.

The law “enables rampant torture and, in some circumstances, institutionalises enforced disappearance,” Amnesty said.

It said the law allows Israeli troops to arrest security suspects “for indefinitely renewable periods without having to produce evidence to substantiate the claims.”

Amnesty said it had documented 27 cases of Palestinians, including five women and a 14-year-old boy, who were detained “for up to four and a half months” without being able to contact their families.

All 27 told of how “they were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment”, the organisation said.