January 28 - Detained Palestinians were filmed kneeling on the ground, with bare feet and blindfolded and handcuffed

 


Jan 28, 2024. Posted by  Balkan Periscope - Hellas

The Israel Defense Forces announced today that the men were "suspected of terrorist activities" and that they were arrested in Gaza and transferred to Israel for further investigation.

 

A CNN reporter filmed Palestinian men who were arrested by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip and brought across the border into Israel, where they were forced to kneel on the cold ground with bare feet, hands tied and blindfolded.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced today that the men were “suspected of terrorist activities" and that they were arrested in Gaza and transferred to Israel for further investigation.

As can be seen in the video, some of the arrested were physically exhausted and it was difficult for them to kneel, and one was lying on the ground until an Israeli soldier came to pick him up.

The arrested were wearing only white overalls even though the temperature was around 10 degrees Celsius.

"As part of IDF activities in the Gaza combat areas, persons suspected of terrorist activities are detained and interrogated. It is often necessary for terrorist suspects to surrender their clothing so that it can be checked to ensure that they are not concealing explosive vests and other weapons. Suspects are given overalls and clothes when they arrive at the detention centers," the Israeli military said, adding that those found not to be involved in terrorist activities are being returned to Gaza.


 


The IDF said the people filmed on Saturday were brought to Israel from Gaza and announced that they would be transported in buses "heated" while CNN was filming, and that they would be treated in accordance with international law.

CNN also filmed a bus nearby, but could not confirm whether the arrested Palestinians got on it because an Israeli soldier ordered the reporter to leave immediately.

According to the American TV network, the Israeli military has arrested hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Palestinian boys and adult men, and sometimes women, in Gaza during the ground offensive in the Palestinian territory and often transports them to Israel and holds them for days without charge.

Many of them were identified as civilians by friends and relatives when the footage surfaced on social media.

Those freed claimed that the soldiers abused them, among other things, held them in custody for at least five days before they were released without charge with scratches and swelling on their hands.

The IDF, however, claims that it treated everyone in accordance with international law and that it strives to treat every arrestee accordingly, and that any claim to the contrary will be verified.

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