Israel responds to outrage over humiliating treatment of detained Gazans by changing media policy
Gaza City, Gaza - As international outrage grows over images of Palestinian prisoners in Gaza stripped to their underwear, in some cases blindfolded and tied to each other, Israel said it would take measures – not to change its treatment of detained Gazans, but to stop such photos from being shared.
The Times of Israel reported that National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said that suspects must be searched to ensure that they are not carrying weapons or explosives. However, Hanegbi told the Kan public broadcaster that spreading pictures online of them in their underpants "doesn’t serve anything."
He added that distribution of such images would be stopped.
The pictures had raised more concerns about Israel's arrest procedures in the Gaza Strip and raised questions about possible rights violations or degrading treatment, wrote the Times of Israel.
The newspaper reported that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said the humiliating photos were not distributed by his office, and that troops would change the arrest procedure in cases where it was not being properly followed.
Citing unnamed representatives of the security forces, Haaretz had reported that of the several hundred Palestinians detained so far, only around 10-15% belonged to Hamas, who led the October 7 attack on Israel, or organizations affiliated with it.
An Al Jazeera report featured Gazans detained by Israeli forces who testified being beaten and tortured, as well as marked with numbers.
Israel's brutal assault on Gaza has so far killed at least 17,990 people, with thousands more missing and presumed trapped under the rubble of destroyed building, according to local authorities.
Cover photo: via REUTERS