A few weeks ago, pictures of Gazan, naked, blindfolded and his hands tied behind his back by the Israeli military, went viral around the world. Since then, most of them have disappeared. According to Israeli media, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of them currently detained at an Israeli army base in the desert. Initially accused of being associated with Hamas, some were eventually dropped.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Sami Bokhlifa
If no link is established between Detention of citizens And Hamas, these citizens claim that ” the tortures » Looks like an Israeli-style Guantanamo. Baha Abu Rukba is 24 years old and a first aid worker with the Palestinian Red Crescent in Gaza. Last December, he was arrested by the Israeli army north of the enclave. He spent twenty-one days in detention.
” I swear to you that I think I spent twenty-one years in prison, because of torture. I think I don’t even know where I was at the military base. But I never once saw the light of day “, he says.
During his detention, Baha continued his interrogation: “ We spent every day on our knees until 9 o’clock. They did incredible things to us. They told me: “You are a member of Hamas!” I replied that I work for a humanitarian organization. They did not believe me and tortured me. They stripped me naked, tied my hands and feet. They beat me in my private part. I’ll spare you the details, but I faced humiliating and humiliating treatment. There was also a soldier who slapped me. »
“We are not here to feed you, but to keep you alive”
The youth claims that he was tortured and deprived of sleep and food. ” They gave us a can of tuna, a cucumber and some bread in the evening for every hundred prisoners. Not enough for even one bird. They told us: “We are not here to feed you, but to keep you alive and torture you.” They threatened to mutilate us or cut off our limbs. »
After a three-week ordeal, Baha Abu Roqba was released and sent back to the south of the Gaza Strip. He is again working as a first aid rescuer with the Palestinian Red Crescent.
For its part, the Israeli military insists that ” Violent behavior towards detainees is prohibited and against its values “
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