Humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza as Israel-Hamas fighting escalates: live updates

Images from Gaza circulating on social media on Thursday showed mass detentions by the Israeli military of men made to strip to their underwear, kneel in the street and blindfolded in the cargo bed of an army vehicle.

The exact circumstances and dates of detention are unclear, but the identities of some detainees have been confirmed by colleagues or family members.

At least some of the men are civilians with no ties to militant groups, according to a CNN interview with one of their relatives and a news network report from one of their employers.

The The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor released a photo of a guard said in a statement on its website on Thursday “The Israeli army detained and severely abused dozens of Palestinian civilians.”

“Euro-Med Monitor has received reports that Israeli forces have carried out random and arbitrary arrest campaigns against displaced populations, including doctors, academics, journalists and the elderly,” it said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the images. CNN geolocates some of the images to Beit Lahia, north of Gaza City.

Israeli media, without citing any evidence, have portrayed images of Hamas members surrendering.

“We have seen pictures of several prisoners who are Hamas terrorists,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said when asked by an IDF spokesman during a press conference on Thursday.
In the war against Hamas, Hagari said, “those left in the area are gradually leaving.”

“We are investigating and verifying who is connected to Hamas and who is not,” he said. “We are arresting and interrogating all of them. We will demolish each and every one of those strongholds until we are done.

In a statement Thursday, the news agency New Arab, or al-Arabi al-Jadeed, said One of its correspondents said and several members of his family were among those detained as part of the incident depicted in the images.

“Today, Thursday, the Israeli occupation army arrested the journalist in Gaza, the director of ‘The New Arab’ office, our colleague Diya al-Kahlot, from the market street in Beit Lahiya, along with his brothers, relatives and a group. other citizens,” wrote al-Arabi al-Jadith.

“The occupation deliberately forced the Gazans to take off their clothes, searched them and humiliated them before taking them to an unknown location when they were arrested, people there told us,” he said.

Al-Kahlot and his family are still missing, Al-Arabi al-Jadeed editor-in-chief Hussam Qanabani said in a statement.

“In cooperation with international institutions and organizations concerned with the rights and freedom of journalists around the world, we will make every effort to locate and release our colleague Diya as soon as possible,” Kanafani said.

CNN spoke with a relative of another man, Hani al-Madoon, who was arrested at his home in the United States.

“The Israeli forces came to the street and called all the men to come out, and they complied,” al-Madoon told CNN. “This house was their refuge after our two houses were destroyed.”

Al-Madoon said he was in touch with his sister in Gaza.

He said he recognized his cousin Abud in a photo and saw his brother Mahmoud in a video. He said Mahmoud was a shopkeeper and Aboud was “not involved in any activities. He helps his father in construction.