71 bag over the head, or prevented from going to the bathroom, and being beaten by hands.”79 Until the end of this year, ICHR was consistently prevented from visiting detention places of the Internal Security Service in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli war on Gaza in December 2008. This may indicate the existence of serious violations against those being held by these services. The inability of ICHR to exercise any control over the detention centers prevents it from seeing the conditions inside the detention centers of the internal security services in the Gaza Strip, leading to a total reliance on the statements received from the relatives of detainees, or detainees themselves after their release. For that reason, ICHR will not be able to take the necessary preventive measures to protect detainees. ICHR recorded different methods of torture according to testimonies provided. In the West Bank, the images of Shabah, beating on various parts of the body, punching, and psychological torture were repeated. In the Gaza Strip, the following acts were reported: Shabah, beatings with sticks, kicking with legs, beating with hands on different parts of the body, restricting the body to the back and lifting it in a high place, blindfolded for long hours, use of electric shocks by connecting electrified shackles to the toes, in addition to threats and obscene language.80 III ‐ Women’s Right to Protection from Violence Article (9) of the Palestinian Basic Law of 2002 states that: “Palestinians before the law and judiciary, without discrimination because of race, sex, color, religion, political opinion or disability”. In 2009, the PNA ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women "CEDAW",81 which obliged State Parties to take all necessary measures to fulfill in all economic, social and cultural fields.82 This is in addition to the many legal bases to protect 79 For further details, see the reports of visits to places of detention during 2010. With regard to criminal and judiciary prosecution for the perpetrators of crimes of torture, see Chapter Two, Part III of this report on the mechanisms and procedures for accountability for human rights violations. 81 Presidential Decree No. (0) for the year 2009. 82 Article (2) of the said Convention provides that: “States Parties condemn all forms of discrimination against women and agree to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women and, to, undertake the following: (a) to embody the principle of equality 80