Israel-Hamas war: Images circulate of dozens of men purportedly stripped naked, detained by IDF

Amid the escalating Israel-Hamas war, images of men detained in huge numbers by the Israeli military and stripped to their underwear, blindfolded as well as kneelingon the street and later taken in the cargo bed of a military vehicle circulated onsocial media.

The dates and exact circumstances of the detentions remained unclear, however, some of the detainees were identified by either their family members or colleagues. Some of the men were civilians and were not affiliated with any militant groups, according to CNN.

An image of one detainment was shared by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor on its website Thursday and said that “the Israeli army detained and severely abused dozens of Palestinian civilians.”

“Euro-Med Monitor received reports that Israeli forces launched random and arbitrary arrest campaigns against displaced people, including doctors, academics, journalists, and elderly men,” it added. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond to the images circulating on social media.

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When IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari was questioned about the images in a press conference, he said, “We’ve seen images of many captives, Hamas terrorists, that the IDF arrested during the ground manoeuvring.”

Hagari added that, in their fight against Hamas, “those left in the area gradually come out.” “We investigate and check who has ties to Hamas, and who does not. We arrest them all and question them. We will continue dismantling each one of those strongholds until we are done,” he said.

Detainees identified

News outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed in a statement on Thursday confirmed the presence of one of its correspondents and several members of his family among those seen detained in the images.

“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,” wrote Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, as reported by CNN.

Watch:Israel-Hamas war: Israeli army breaks through Hamas' defensive line in Gaza

“The occupation deliberately forced Gazans to take off their clothes, searched them, and humiliated them when they were arrested before taking them to an unknown destination, according to what the people there told us. Pictures and video clips spread showing soldiers arresting dozens of Gazans using criminal and humiliating method,” it added.

In a statement, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed editor-in-chief Hussam Kanafani said that Al-Kahlot and his family were still missing.

“We will make every effort possible, in cooperation with international institutions and organizations concerned with the rights and freedom of journalists in the world, to determine the whereabouts of our colleague Diaa and release him as soon as possible,” Kanafani added.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)