Pictures from Gaza reveal Israeli soldiers detaining many men in their underwear
Images from Gaza surfaced on social media on Thursday, depicting a mass detention by the Israeli military. In the photos, men were compelled to strip to their underwear, kneel on the street, wear blindfolds, and cram into the cargo bed of a military vehicle.
The exact details and timelines of these detentions remain unclear; however, some detainees’ identities were verified by colleagues or family members. According to a conversation with one of their relatives and a statement from one of their employers, a news network, at least some of the men have no known ties to militant groups and are civilians.
A statement on the website of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, accompanied by an image of one of the detentions, claimed that “the Israeli army detained and severely abused dozens of Palestinian civilians” on Thursday.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor received information indicating that Israeli forces initiated indiscriminate and arbitrary arrest initiatives targeting displaced individuals, encompassing doctors, academics, journalists, and elderly men.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not replied to CNN’s inquiry regarding the images. CNN has identified the location of some of these images to be Beit Lahia, situated north of Gaza City.
While Israeli media has presented the images as the surrender of Hamas members, the IDF spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, responded to a journalist’s question during a news conference on Thursday, stating, “We’ve seen images of many captives, Hamas terrorists, that the IDF arrested during the ground maneuvering.” Hagari further explained that, in the process of combatting Hamas, individuals remaining in the area gradually emerge.
“We thoroughly investigate and assess connections to Hamas, detaining and questioning individuals. Our objective is to dismantle each of these strongholds until the task is complete.”
In a Thursday statement, The New Arab, or Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported that one of its correspondents, Diaa Al-Kahlot, along with several family members, was among those detained in the incident depicted in the images.
The statement highlighted that the Israeli occupation forces arrested Al-Kahlot, the director of ‘The New Arab’ office in Gaza, and others. It emphasized that the occupation deliberately subjected Gazans to the humiliation of disrobing and searches before arresting them and taking them to an undisclosed location.
Hussam Kanafani, the editor-in-chief of Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, expressed concern about Al-Kahlot and his family, stating they were still missing. Kanafani pledged to collaborate with international institutions to ascertain their whereabouts and secure their release.
CNN interviewed a relative of another detained individual, Hani al-Madhoun, residing in the United States. According to al-Madhoun, Israeli forces summoned all men on the street, and they complied. Al-Madhoun recognized his cousin Aboud in a photograph and saw his brother Mahmood in a video. He emphasized that Mahmoud is a shopkeeper, and Aboud is not involved in any activities; he helps his father in construction.