Israeli forces torturing Palestinian healthcare workers during detention: HRW

Palestinian healthcare workers share details of severe abuse while in Israeli detention, ICC investigation urged

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Israeli forces have been detaining and torturing Palestinian healthcare workers in Gaza since October 2023, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

These allegations include severe mistreatment, such as beatings, forced stress positions, and threats of sexual violence, in detention facilities within Israel.

HRW has revealed that Israeli forces detained at least 310 Palestinian healthcare workers in Gaza since October 7, 2023. None were informed of the reasons for their detention.

Witnesses confirmed that Israeli soldiers detained these medics while they were performing their duties.

Healthcare Workers Watch-Palestine, a nongovernmental organisation, documented 259 of these detentions and collected 31 accounts of torture and other abuses by Israeli authorities.

Reports include the use of stress positions, deprivation of food and water, and threats of sexual violence. The organisation collaborated with HRW to interview released healthcare workers.

Interviews conducted by HRW from March to June 2024 highlight the plight of these healthcare workers, who were held without charge for periods ranging from seven days to five months.

HRW interviewed several Palestinian healthcare workers who described harrowing conditions, including being stripped, blindfolded, and beaten by Israeli soldiers.

The detentions reportedly occurred during Israeli military operations targeting hospitals in Gaza, exacerbating the region’s already critical healthcare crisis.

The detainees were allegedly deported to various detention facilities, including the Sde Teiman military base and Ashkelon prison.

Many reported being held without charge and subjected to physical and psychological abuse. HRW has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate these incidents as potential war crimes.

The Israeli authorities have not responded to HRW’s findings, which also detail the deaths of several Palestinian detainees under suspicious circumstances.

HRW has urged international governments to hold Israel accountable for these actions, citing a broader pattern of systematic abuse and oppression against Palestinians.