Stripping, photographing civilian detainees is ‘terrorist’ act: Hamas

ISTANBUL

The Palestinian group Hamas on Friday denounced the arrest of displaced civilians in a school in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army, saying that “stripping them of their clothes” is the work of “terrorist militias.”

In a statement, the group said: “The crime of arresting, searching displaced civilians, stripping them of their clothes, and taking their pictures is an act that can only be carried out by mercenaries and terrorist militias devoid of all values.”

“The Nazi occupation army’s (Israeli army) arrest of a group of displaced civilians in a school in the Gaza Strip, and stripping them of their clothes in a humiliating manner, is a blatant Zionist crime,” Hamas added.

Hamas called on “all human rights organizations and humanitarian institutions to intervene.”

Images of dozens of Palestinian men stripped down to their underwear and rounded up by Israeli soldiers have been circulating on social media on Thursday.

The Palestinian journalist, Diaa al-Kahlout, working for Alaraby Aljadeed, was among those arrested and searched.

Israel resumed its military offensive against the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group, Hamas.

At least 17,177 Palestinians have been killed and more than 46,000 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.

• Writing by Ikram Kouachi​​​​​​​