Human rights controversy over 'Hamas detention' video... Criticism includes civilians

Palestinian Man in Underwear
Israel Identifies Him as Hamas Member
Civilian Pointed Out in Detention Video

A video showing Israeli soldiers detaining and guarding Palestinian men in their underwear is circulating online. Israel stated that the detainees were Hamas militants, a Palestinian armed faction, but concerns are growing amid claims that civilians are also among them.

On the 8th (local time), a video circulated on social media showing Israeli soldiers detaining men on a street in Gaza City. The men, appearing to number over 100, were squatting with their knees bent, wearing only underwear, and bowing their heads. The video is believed to have been filmed by an Israeli soldier and was posted online the previous evening.

Video of Gaza Strip circulated on social media. Palestinian men in underwear kneeling on the ground /
[Photo source=YouTube capture]

According to U.S. foreign media, the location in the video is Beit Lahiya in the northeastern Gaza Strip. This area was advised by Israel for civilians to evacuate before conducting military operations in Gaza. Subsequently, the area was surrounded by Israeli forces.

On the same evening, additional videos were posted on social media showing dozens of Palestinian men kneeling in front of a large pit. The half-naked men had their eyes covered with cloth and their hands tied behind their backs. Photos also emerged showing half-naked Palestinian men tightly loaded onto Israeli military trucks for transport.

Israeli media reported that these videos indicate the surrender of Hamas militants. The government also claimed that the detainees were Hamas members. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, did not directly comment on the video but stated, "The military and intelligence personnel have detained and interrogated hundreds of terror suspects."

However, as claims arose that civilians were included among the detainees, public criticism of Israel's inhumane actions has intensified. It was confirmed that one of the men detained on the street was Dia Alkalout, a well-known Palestinian journalist. Reports also surfaced that the Israeli military forced detainees to strip and subjected them to humiliating treatment.

Additionally, the British BBC reported a Palestinian man’s claim that ten of his cousins were captured by Israeli forces in Beit Lahiya. The man said that Israeli soldiers used a megaphone to order Palestinians to leave their homes and a UN school. During this process, seven of his cousins were released and returned, but the whereabouts of the remaining three are unknown.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed concern regarding the controversial video. Jessica Mousan, an ICRC spokesperson, issued a statement emphasizing, "It is important that all detainees are treated based on humanity and dignity in accordance with international humanitarian law."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.