Accounts of Palestinian Male Detainees Detail Alleged 5-Day Regime of Mistreatment by Israeli Military
Palestinian boys and men share harrowing accounts of alleged abuse and humiliation during their five-day detention by the Israeli military, enduring severe deprivation of food and water Their testimonies paint a distressing picture of mistreatment and underscore the urgent need for intervention
Nimer Abu Ras has bruised and lacerated wrists, with swollen hands. He is among the numerous Palestinian men and boys who have been stripped and blindfolded and detained by Israeli forces in recent weeks during clearing operations in northern Gaza. Many of those taken into custody have been confirmed as civilians by their families and employers, as images of the mass detentions spread on social media.
Abu Ras was one of ten individuals CNN interviewed at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, where they were receiving medical treatment for injuries and dehydration after being detained for five days.
Many of them, including Abu Ras, had swollen hands and bruised wrists from being handcuffed during their detention. Israeli soldiers had numbered all their hands with a red marker. All of them reported receiving minimal food and water while in custody, and described instances of alleged mistreatment and humiliation. A doctor at the hospital said that they all arrived in a state of physical and psychological exhaustion.
14-year-old Mahmoud Zendah recently showed scars from plastic handcuffs on his arms and a fresh wound on the bridge of his nose. He described how Israeli soldiers would tie his hands behind his back and drag him like a dog, and possibly kick him with their boots, depending on their mood. According to Zendah, one soldier had kicked him in the face.
A video posted online shows Israeli soldiers burning food in Gaza.
Obtained by CNN
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Zendah denied any wrongdoing, stating, "I didn't do anything to him. He just decided to come and kick me. He came to me and asked me, 'Are you Hamas?' I told him, 'I don't know Hamas or the resistance. I'm only a child that goes to school and back home. I eat, I play with my friends and go back home. I don't do anything else in life.'"
Another 14-year-old, Ahmad Nimer Salman Abu Ras, was initially too afraid to even describe his detention.
"I'm terrified," he admitted. "I'm afraid of the Israelis. I don't want them to harm us."
Just like the other patients at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, a city in central Gaza, they were taken into custody as Israeli forces passed through the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City.
"Out of nowhere, we heard the screams of people, the shouts of soldiers, and the sound of bulldozers destroying the houses," recounted Nader, Zendah's father. "[The soldiers] burst into the house, separating the women from the men, instructing us to remove our pants and lift our shirts, then they lined us up against the wall. After that, they forced us outside, blindfolding us."
Following this, they were transported by trucks to different locations.
16-year-old Mohammad Odeh recalled being forced onto the floor with the guards' feet on their heads, continuously interrogated and beaten while being denied basic necessities such as warm clothing and sleep.
Mahmood Esleem, a diabetic, arrived at the hospital weak and with his health severely impacted after being denied access to insulin during his detention, as shared by his son, Mohammad.
Esleem seemed to be in even worse condition the following day - he could barely stand, was complaining of foot pain, and was drifting in and out of consciousness, as reported by a cousin who was by his side.
CNN obtained images from Gaza that showed a large group of men being detained by the Israeli military. The men were forced to strip down to their underwear, kneel on the street, wear blindfolds, and were then packed into the cargo bed of a military vehicle.
"All of them arrived at the hospital physically and mentally exhausted, having walked halfway on foot before being met by ambulances. They were provided with the necessary medical care," said Dr. Khalil Al Daqran, spokesman for the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. "There were indications of torture on their arms and signs of beatings all over their bodies."
The Israeli military stated that it was detaining and interrogating individuals "suspected of terrorist activity" as part of its operations in combat zones in northern Gaza, and that "individuals who are found not to be involved in terrorist activities are released."
The Israel Defense Forces stated in response to CNN that the individuals in custody are being treated in compliance with international law. They emphasized the commitment to treating all detainees with dignity and assured that any instances of guideline violations will be thoroughly investigated. Despite being given a list of names and the location of detention, a spokesperson for the IDF refused to address specific abuse allegations or provide an explanation for the detention of the 10 boys and men interviewed by CNN.
The IDF has defended its practice of instructing detainees to undress, stating that it is done to prevent the concealment of explosive vests or weapons. Human rights organizations have condemned the widespread circulation of the photos after they were released in Israeli media.
Aerial image captured of a devastated residential zone where Palestinians are seen scavenging for salvageable items amidst the wreckage of a building that was razed during the Israeli assaults in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on December 12.
Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images
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Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director for Human Rights Watch, stated that the law protects detainees, whether civilian or combatant, from degrading and humiliating treatment and outrages against personal dignity. According to State Department spokesperson Matt Miller, Israeli officials have assured the US that they will return clothes to detainees "immediately" after strip searches and have acknowledged that the photos should not have been taken or released.
In armed conflict, civilians may be detained in accordance with international law, but only when it is "absolutely necessary for imperative reasons of security," Shakir stated, pointing out that Israel has previously breached these laws.
