Three Palestinian brothers detained by Israel in the Gaza Strip said they and fellow detainees were beaten, stripped to their underwear, burned with cigarettes and subjected to other abuses while in detention.
Sobhi Yaseen, his brothers Sady and Ibrahim were among dozens of Palestinian men who took shelter in a school in Rafah in southern Gaza and who spoke to Reuters about their treatment by Israeli soldiers.
Reuters could not independently confirm their stories, which were consistent with descriptions from more than two dozen other former detainees who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Israeli Army Spokesperson's Office said in a written response that the Israeli army was operating “to dismantle Hamas's military capabilities” and rescue hostages captured by the Palestinian group.
Detainees were treated in accordance with international law and were often required to surrender clothing to ensure they were not carrying weapons or explosives, the agency said.
The Yaseen brothers said they were taken from their homes in the north of the enclave, separated from their families and held for up to two weeks in unknown locations, including a military barracks or camp.
Sobhi said he and his brothers were arrested in early December after the Israeli army surrounded the area where they lived and worked as day laborers in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood.
He said four people beat him after he was unable to climb into a truck due to a leg injury he suffered before his arrest, and that he was then taken to an open area where the kidnappers “smoked and put out cigarettes on our backs while they sprayed sand. and water on us, urinating on us”.
His brothers Sady and Ibrahim gave similar stories of abuse by Israeli soldiers. Reuters could not independently confirm their accounts.
Treatment of civilians
Israel launched its attack on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a shocking cross-border raid by Hamas operatives on October 7, which Israel said left 1,200 dead. Authorities in the Hamas-controlled area say more than 21,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's campaign.
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said on December 16 that it had received numerous reports of mass detentions, abuse and enforced disappearance of Palestinians in northern Gaza by the Israeli army.
International humanitarian law requires that civilians be detained only for compelling security reasons, and torture and other ill-treatment of detainees is strictly prohibited, OHCHR said.
Images of detainees stripped to their underwear in Gaza earlier this month sparked outrage among Palestinian, Arab and Muslim officials.
UN rights chief Volker Turk has said that Hamas' attack on October 7, Israel's holding of hostages and its “collective punishment” and “unlawful forced evacuation” of civilians are all war crimes.
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has been investigating possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2021, has called on Israel and Hamas to respect the international rules of war.
The ICC prosecutor's office said it was using all available means to ensure accountability for alleged crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, including Gaza, but could not comment on specific allegations.
Scars
The Yaseen brothers sheltering in Rafah said the Israeli army had not made any specific accusations against them. They were captured together and then separated as part of group arrests carried out by the Israeli army in areas where the country is advancing.
Sady said he was placed in a garbage truck with other inmates.
“They beat us, and anyone who raised their voice after the beating was beaten again. They searched us, took our IDs, money and phones,” he said, speaking to a group of about 20 men in a tent at the Rafah. school, most of them wearing gray tracksuits issued by the Israeli army.
Some showed large scabs and rough skin on their wrists where they said their hands were tied or handcuffed, and one showed bruised stripes and a circular red scar on his back. Another showed a stitched scar on his thigh where he said he was beaten.
The third Yaseen brother, Ibrahim, described having his hands tied and blindfolded while he was held for questioning.
“They didn't let us sleep. We stood still for hours as punishment,” he said.
The kidnappers insulted the prisoners while forbidding them to talk or pray to each other, Ibrahim said. “Then there would be five soldiers who would alternately hit you on the head and body,” he added, saying he had been hit in the ribs and had rolled up his sleeves to show circular scars and scabs from where his wrists were tied.
The Israeli army dropped off the brothers at various times at the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, as it has done with other groups of men detained during the ground operation but no longer suspected of ties to Hamas.
From there, they said they walked several kilometers to Rafah, where they moved among the hundreds of thousands of people displaced and now living in crowded buildings and tents.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)