Shocking images from Northern Gaza show Israeli soldiers stripping hundreds of Palestinians to their underwear before packing them into the cargo bed of a military vehicle. The men, who were forced to wear blindfolds, were also allegedly abused.
According to a report by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, the Israeli forces launched random and arbitrary arrest campaigns against displaced people, including doctors, academics, journalists, and elderly men, in two prominent UN-run refugee camps.
Though the circumstances behind these detentions were unclear, CNN reported that some of the men were civilians with no known affiliation to militant groups. Their identities were confirmed by colleagues or family members.
The Euro-Med quoted the sister of journalist Diaa Al-Kahlot who was allegedly taken by the Israeli military. She alleged that Al-Kahlot was told to leave his seven-year-old disabled child Nada on her own. He was then taken into custody at gunpoint and, like all of the other detainees, had his clothes removed after being beaten severely.
A statement by media organisation Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (The New Arab) confirmed the report. "Today, Thursday, the Israeli occupation army arrested the journalist and the director of 'The New Arab' office in Gaza, our colleague Diaa Al-Kahlot, from Market Street in Beit Lahia, along with a group of his brothers, relatives, and other civilians," Al-Araby Al-Jadeed wrote. The statement alleged that Israeli soldiers "forced Gazans to take off their clothes, searched them, and humiliated them when they were arrested before taking them to an unknown destination".
Another person told Euro-Med that the Israeli forces set fire to several homes in the Beit Lahia area and launched random arrest campaigns against the residents. The report also claimed incidents of sniping and direct killing carried out by the Israeli army.
Though Israel has not formally responded to the pictures, a Israeli media questioned IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari about the images. "We’ve seen images of many captives, Hamas terrorists, that the IDF arrested during the ground manoeuvring. We investigate and check who has ties to Hamas, and who does not," Hagari said. "We arrest them all and question them. We will continue dismantling each one of those strongholds until we are done."