CNN video shows barefoot and blindfolded Palestinian prisoners in Israel near the Gaza border
This image is a still from a CNN video showing Palestinian men captured by Israeli forces in Gaza on January 27, sitting and kneeling in southern Israel near the Gaza border. (CNN)
More than two dozen men sat and knelt on the cold, wet ground near the Israel-Gaza border, blindfolded, barefoot and with their hands tied behind their backs. Israeli soldiers, their faces covered with balaclavas, stand guard.
This was the scene that CNN found this Saturday morning in southern Israel, near the border with Gaza. These are rare images of Palestinian men arrested by Israeli forces in Gaza and taken across the border into Israel.
Some of the men appear physically exhausted, their heads hanging and swaying as they try to stay on their knees. A prisoner lies on the ground before an Israeli soldier arrives to wake him up and get him up again. The men are barefoot and appear to be wearing nothing more than white disposable overalls despite the temperature of 10 degrees Celsius.
The Israeli military said the men were “suspected of terrorist activities and were arrested in Gaza and transferred to Israel for further questioning.”
“As part of IDF activities in the Gaza combat zone, individuals suspected of being involved in terrorist activities are arrested and interrogated. It is often necessary for terrorist suspects to surrender their clothing so that it can be searched and to ensure that they are…” “Do not hide explosive vests or other weapons. The suspects will be provided with overalls and clothing upon their arrival at the detention center,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. “Relevant suspects will be brought to Israel for further interrogation. Persons not involved in terrorist activities will be returned to Gaza as soon as possible.”
The IDF said the men filmed on Saturday had been brought to Israel from Gaza and were being placed on a “heated bus” when CNN filmed the scene, and claimed that the detainees were being treated in accordance with international law would.
A bus was waiting nearby, but CNN could not confirm when the men boarded because an Israeli soldier on the scene told CNN to leave the area within minutes.
Detained Palestinians: The Israeli military has detained hundreds (if not thousands) of Palestinian boys and men (and in some cases women) in Gaza while its ground forces rampaged through the enclave, often transferring them to detention centers in Israel and holding them for days without charge. against him. Many of those detained were identified as civilians by friends and family after images of their detention appeared online.
Many detainees have reported mistreatment by Israeli forces, including several Palestinian boys and men who told CNN in December that they were held for five days before finally being released without charge, and that they returned with bruised and swollen wrists. At the time, the Israeli military stated that “detainees will be treated in accordance with international law” and that “the IDF strives to treat each detainee with dignity. Any incident where guidelines were not followed will be investigated.”