'There were only beatings': Freed Palestinian hostages allege torture at the hands of Israel army

As the Israel-Gaza war stretches to its three-month mark, reports of Palestinians facing torture at the hands of the Israeli army have come to light. On Sunday, recently freed detainees alleged that the Israeli forces were torturing Palestinian civilians in their custody in the Gaza Strip. A Gaza medic corroborated this narrative. However, the military has denied the charges.

Blows and beatings

As per an AFP report, the two men were among hundreds detained by Israeli forces over alleged links with armed group Hamas. These people have been detained as part of Israel's ongoing ground offensive in the besieged Hamas-run territory.

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The narrative of torture was confirmed by a medic. Talking to AFP, Marwan al-Hams, hospital director of Rafah's Martyr Mohammed Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital revealed that about 20 men released from Israeli custody "have bruises and marks of blows on their bodies".

Hamas, as per the news agency, said that the freed Palestinians were admitted to Al-Najjar hospital, in the southern city of Rafah upon their release.

Nayef Ali, a 22-year-old, who claims to have been detained in Gaza City's eastern Zaitun suburb and later taken to an Israeli detention facility said: "They (Israeli troops) tied our hands behind our backs for two days."

To support his claims, he showed the news agency cuts on his wrists and other parts of his body.

"We were not allowed to eat or drink, neither were we allowed to use the toilet," he said, adding, "There were only beatings and beatings."

He also alleged that Palestinian detainees were held in a "freezing cold" area along the border with Israel.

"They threw cold water on us before transferring us to a prison, where it was again torture and beatings."

Another former detainee, 55-year-old Khamis al-Bardini, also alleged torture by Israeli soldiers, and said that during his detention there were "beatings during the day", while they poured "cold water on our heads through the night".

Israel rejects allegations

Rejecting the claim, the Israeli army said that all the detainees were "treated in accordance with international law".

In a statement to AFP, the Israeli forces said, "While detained, the suspects are given sufficient food and water and treated according to protocol."

Israel vowed to defeat Hamas after a deadly attack by the militants on October 7, launching a relentless military campaign in Gaza.

These allegations come as the Israeli army faced widespread international condemnation after a video of stripped-down detainees with their hands tied behind their backs went viral.

Additionally, reports of deaths of detainees in the military's custody have also come to light. To this, the Israeli army said it was investigating the deaths of "terrorists in military detention centres".

(With inputs from agencies)