Palestine – Palestinian prisoners released by Israel on Thursday gave horrific testimonies about the various methods of torture they were subjected to in prison cells after being arrested from the Gaza Strip.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, those released said while they were in the “Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital” in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip that they were subjected to brutal torture, abuse, starvation, electric shocks, and attacks by dogs.
On Thursday, Israel released 64 Palestinians it had arrested from Gaza during ground operations in its ongoing war since October 7, in addition to releasing two women from the Strip who were arrested while accompanying patients receiving treatment inside Israel.
22 of the released prisoners arrived at the hospital to receive treatment, while the others went to their families, according to what the Anadolu Agency correspondent reported.
brutal torture
Released detainee Ahmed Ahmed said: “We were arrested at the Kerem Shalom crossing (south), where they blindfolded us and began the rounds of torture, which included beating, abuse and starvation in a way we had never imagined.”
“The army forced us to squat, blindfolded, and prevented us from moving or talking to anyone,” added Ahmed, who was detained for 46 days, moving between Ofer prison, the Negev, and another prison in Jerusalem.
Regarding the interrogation rounds, he said: “They asked us about the resistance tunnels, accused us of being from Hamas, and threatened to kill us if we did not speak up. Some could not bear the torture, so they confessed to things they did not do just to stop the torture.”
Ibrahim Salem, who was arrested from Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip on December 11, explained that during his arrest he was subjected to “torture, starvation, and difficult interrogation on a daily basis.”
He said: “I left my wife and children injured in the intensive care unit at Kamal Adwan Hospital and I did not know their fate.”
He added: “I was transferred from one prison to another, and we did not know the taste of sleep, as we spent long periods of time sitting on our knees.”
He continued: “We were subjected to all kinds of torture, and the investigations focused on the location of (Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya) Sinwar and the resistance, even though we had nothing to do with that.”
He explained that the Israeli army forced him to wear a military uniform of the “Al-Qassam Brigades”, and they tried to take him down into a tunnel, but he refused, so they tortured him severely in an electric chair and began the beatings and abuse.
They took us naked
As for Muhammad Jabr, from northern Gaza, he said: “I was arrested on November 17 from Salah al-Din checkpoint, and they took me to unknown places while I was blindfolded and handcuffed, and we were severely beaten for 8 days, while we were naked.”
He added to Anadolu Agency: “I was injured and one of my toenails was removed. I did not receive any treatment and lost 40 kilograms.”
He added: “My health condition was very difficult. I suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure, and I only received treatment.”
Over the past few months, the Israeli army has released dozens of Palestinian detainees from Gaza in separate batches, most of whom suffered from deteriorating health conditions.
Since the start of its ground operation in Gaza on October 27, the army has arrested thousands of Palestinians, including women, children, health workers and civil defense personnel. A small number of them were later released, while the fate of the others remains unknown.
Human rights organizations and Israeli media revealed that Palestinian detainees from Gaza were subjected to torture and medical neglect, which led to the death of many of them in Israeli detention facilities.
Since October 7, Israel, with full American support, has been waging a war on the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 130,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that has claimed the lives of dozens of children.
Tel Aviv continues the war, ignoring the UN Security Council resolutions to stop it immediately, and the International Court of Justice orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Anatolia
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2024-08-02 11:51:59