A Palestinian, who was released after being detained with other civilians to be questioned by Israeli forces at Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, on Feb. 1, 2024. (Credit: Said Khatib/AFP)
RAFAH — Palestinians released this Thursday and currently receiving treatment at the Rafah hospital in southern Gaza have reported experiencing violence and deprivation during their detention by the Israeli army. The detentions occurred amid Israel's ground offensive that began after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack.
In response to these allegations, the Israeli military stated it had detained individuals suspected of engaging in terrorist activities, asserting that the detainees were treated "in accordance with international law." However, several Gazans, including those who claim they were arrested without cause, reported being held for days or weeks before being released in groups.
At Rafah's Najjar Hospital, Khaled al-Nabrisse from Khan Younes, a major city in the southern Gaza Strip, described the treatment as "relentless torture."
He detailed being prohibited from eating, drinking, or using the restroom for the first 72 hours of detention while being handcuffed and blindfolded for seven days. "It was really hard, and we underwent a kind of torture we had never experienced before," Al-Nabrisse said, noting particularly the use of dogs to intimidate detainees.
At the same hospital, AFP encountered other Palestinians with injuries to their wrists and legs. Abou Khamis, from the central Bureij refugee camp, told AFP about the torture, insults, and beatings he endured while detained. "As you can see, these injuries occurred in prison. I have hand wounds that will be treated," the 50-year-old man wrapped in a blanket stated.
According to Gaza authorities, 114 individuals, including four women, were returned to the Kerem Shalom crossing near Rafah on Thursday. Among those released was Mohammed al-Ran, head of surgery at the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza, who was arrested during an Israeli military incursion two months ago.
Last month, the United Nations representative for human rights in the Palestinian Territories, Ajith Sunghay, condemned the "horrible" conditions faced by Gazans detained by the Israeli military.
He indicated that "thousands" had been arrested since Oct. 7 and held in unknown locations, highlighting the grave concerns over the treatment and detention conditions of Palestinians in the context of the ongoing conflict.