At least a hundred Palestinian men have been photographed stripped to their underwear, tied up and positioned on their knees after they were reportedly captured by Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza.
Shocking footage shared by Israeli media appears to show Israeli army troops rounding up dozens of men and transporting them on the back of trucks.
The men are said to have surrendered in the Jabalia refugee camp and other areas around northern Gaza, with Israeli outlet Walla saying they had been stripped naked “to rule out the possibility that they were carrying weapons.”
Dozens of prisoners were reportedly paraded through Gaza City's Palestine Square, with shoes and sandals scattered across the street in one image as the men were publicly humiliated.
When asked about the images, IDF spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari appeared to confirm that the men had been captured, but did not clarify whether the individuals depicted were members of Hamas or civilians.
Footage shared by Israeli media appears to show Israeli Army (IDF) troops rounding up dozens of men and transporting them on the back of trucks
One image shows dozens of Palestinian men stripped to their underwear as Israeli soldiers stand guard
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces have detained and interrogated hundreds of people in Gaza suspected of militant links.
Hagari told reporters: “Jabalia and Shejaiya are 'centers of gravity'… for terrorists, and we are fighting them.
“They hide underground and come out and we fight them. Whoever remains in those areas comes from tunnel shafts and some from buildings. We investigate who has ties to Hamas and who does not. We arrest them all and interrogate them.”
Walla reported Wednesday afternoon that Israeli soldiers from the 261st Reserve Brigade had arrested the people depicted and were “investigating.”
The news site reported that those arrested were not expected to be transferred to Israel, but investigations would be conducted in Gaza “as there is a good chance that the suspects are innocent people living in a humanitarian shelter nearby.”
There have been unconfirmed messages that the men were captured from UN-run schools in the north of the area.
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed news channel said that correspondent Diaa Al-Kahlout was among those arrested and taken to an unknown location.
The footage was the first to show such detentions during the Israeli-Hamas war.
After weeks of war in the north, the Israeli army is increasingly focusing on southern Gaza, including areas where it had previously called on civilians to evacuate from the north.
A photo taken in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 7, 2023
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Gaza as the IDF continues its offensive in southern Gaza
The Israeli military today shared a video and surveillance photos (pictured above) on
Israel today claimed that Hamas had seen rockets launched from humanitarian areas in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military today shared a video and surveillance photos on
“The rockets were launched near the tents of Gazan civilians who had been evacuated to the south of the Gaza Strip for their protection, and near the UN facilities.”
As part of the post, the IDF shared photos that it said documented the launch site near tents of civilians evacuated from Gaza cities.
“Yesterday at 12:52, Hamas launched a rocket from the humanitarian zone. The rocket landed in the Gaza Strip and endangered many Gaza civilians,” the IDF added.
This comes as the Israeli army has expanded its offensive in southern Gaza, worsening the dire humanitarian conditions in the area.
An Israeli Army self-propelled artillery howitzer fires bullets from a position near the Gaza Strip border
Residents say the IDF hit Rafah twice in one night as United Nations officials warned there are no safe places left in the besieged area.
That's what United Nations officials say There are no safe places in Gaza almost a week after Israel expanded its offensive into the southern half of the territory.
Heavy fighting in and around the town of Khan Younis, where Israel has said Hamas leaders have strongholds, has displaced tens of thousands of people and cut off most of Gaza from aid deliveries.
More than 80 percent of the area's population has already fled their homes.
Two months after the start of the war, the crushing offensive has once again caused international alarm. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres used a rarely exercised power to warn the Security Council of an impending “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and urge members to demand a ceasefire.
Gutteres explicitly cited Article 99 of the UN Charter, which allows the Secretary General to bring to the attention of the council any matter that he believes threatens international peace and security.
This power has only been used a handful of times in the history of the world body.