1703443102 Gaza Strip Palestinians released by Israel say they were tortured

Gaza Strip: Palestinians released by Israel say they were tortured during their detention

About twenty of them were admitted to al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah on Sunday after being released by the Israeli army. “You have bruises and impact marks on your body,” noted the hospital director.

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Published on December 24, 2023 6:02 p.m

Reading time: 2 minutesA Palestinian released by the Israeli army shows his injuries upon his arrival at al-Najjar hospital in Rafah, Gaza Strip, December 24, 2023. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)

A Palestinian released by the Israeli army shows his injuries upon his arrival at al-Najjar hospital in Rafah, Gaza Strip, December 24, 2023. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)

Palestinians released after being detained by the Israeli army during their land operations in the Gaza Strip said on Sunday, December 24, that they were tortured in detention. About 20 of them were admitted to al-Najjar hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Sunday after their release.

“They have bruises and impact marks on their bodies,” hospital director Marwan al-Hams told AFP. One of the released prisoners, 22-year-old Nayef Ali, showed signs of being bound on his wrists and cuts on his body, according to AFP images.

The young man was arrested in the Zeitoun neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, he said. “They separated the men from the women and kept us in a house where they [les soldats israéliens] “They tied our hands behind our backs for two days. We weren't given anything to eat or drink or allowed to use the toilet, just beatings and beatings,” he said.

Israel rejects allegations

Another released prisoner, Khamis al-Bardini, 55, also claims he was ill-treated by Israeli soldiers. “We were given cold water on our heads all night and beaten during the day. Then they took us to a prison whose name we don’t know or where it is,” he testifies.

When asked about the allegations, the Israeli army responded that “the detainees were treated in accordance with international law.” “While in custody, the suspects are provided with adequate food and fluids and treated in accordance with established protocols,” she added in a statement.

The Israeli army has been heavily criticized in recent weeks after images were released of dozens of Palestinians detained in the Gaza Strip, seen in their underwear, blindfolded and with their hands tied under the guard of Israeli soldiers. On December 19, the Israeli army announced the opening of an investigation into “terrorist deaths in military prisons,” without specifying the number of prisoners affected or the circumstances of their deaths.