Israeli forces have been detaining and torturing Palestinian health workers in Gaza since October 2023, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
These reports share details of severe mistreatment, including beatings, forced stress positions and threats of sexual violence, in detention facilities inside Israel.
HRW revealed that Israeli forces have arrested at least 310 Palestinian health workers in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
No one was informed of the reasons for their detention.
Witnesses confirmed that Israeli soldiers detained these doctors while they were performing their duties.
Healthcare Workers Watch-Palestine, a non-governmental organization, documented 259 of these detentions and compiled 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 agency partnered with HRW to interview released health workers.
Interviews conducted by HRW from March to June 2024 highlight the plight of these health workers, who were held without charge for periods ranging from seven days to five months.
HRW interviewed several Palestinian health care workers who described harrowing conditions, including being stripped, blindfolded and beaten by Israeli soldiers.
The arrests reportedly came during Israeli military operations targeting hospitals in Gaza, exacerbating an already critical healthcare crisis in the region.
The detainees were reportedly deported to various detention facilities, including the Sde Teiman military base and Ashkelon prison.
Many reported being held without charge and suffering physical and psychological abuse.
HRW called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate these incidents as possible war crimes.
Israeli authorities have not responded to HRW’s findings, which also detail the deaths of many Palestinian prisoners under suspicious circumstances.
HRW urged international governments to hold Israel responsible for these actions, citing a broader pattern of systematic abuse and oppression against Palestinians.
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