Hospital employees were also detained for days during an army operation in February, according to the report. The military denies that medical personnel were harmed.
According to a media report, soldiers allegedly beat and humiliated doctors during an operation by the Israeli army in a clinic in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces blindfolded them, held them for days and forced them to take off their clothes, the British broadcaster BBC reported, citing medical staff at Nasser Hospital.
Accordingly, those affected were said to have been beaten with sticks, hoses, rifle butts and fists. When asked, the Israeli army said: “We are not aware of the allegations made.” All information cannot currently be independently verified.
The BBC report said the allegations were passed on to the military. The military did not comment directly on the incidents, but also did not deny the specific allegations. When asked, the Israeli army said that no patients or staff were harmed during its operation in the clinic. This information could not initially be independently verified.
Reports of torment and humiliation
The army spoke of a “precise and limited operation against the Hamas terrorist organization in Nasser Hospital” in the city of Khan Yunis, in which around 200 suspects were temporarily arrested and weapons were seized in February. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, many of those arrested are medical staff.
According to the BBC, a doctor reported that a soldier had broken his hand. The Israeli emergency services painted a Star of David on a plaster cast. Other hospital employees also reported having to kneel in uncomfortable positions for hours and being doused with cold water. Some of the clinic’s employees have been missing since the Israeli army deployed, the station reported, citing relatives.
The BBC also released footage purporting to show men in their underwear kneeling outside the emergency department building with their hands clasped behind their heads. Some of them are said to have smocks in front of them. According to the report, doctors told the broadcaster that they had also been taken to a detention center unclothed.
Great Britain demands clarification
Israel’s army said it is currently temporarily detaining and interrogating people suspected of involvement in terrorist activities in combat zones in the Gaza Strip. Bystanders would eventually be released. “The detained individuals will be treated in accordance with international law,” the army said. It is often necessary for suspects to hand over their clothing so that it can be searched to ensure that those affected are not hiding explosive vests or other weapons. The clothing will not be returned to people immediately because there is a suspicion that knives could be hidden in it. The BBC also quoted this military statement.
After the BBC report was published, the British government called for a comprehensive investigation. As in Great Britain, lawyers are present during Israeli army operations to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, said Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell in Parliament in London. However, he emphasized that a detailed explanation was necessary.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
