In a troubling series of events captured in stark images circulating on social media, the Israeli military detained a group of men in Gaza, subjecting them to a degrading ordeal on the streets.
The visuals reveal a distressing scene where the men were forced to strip down to their underwear, kneel blindfolded and subsequently crammed into the cargo bed of a military vehicle.
The circumstances and specific dates of these detentions remain shrouded in uncertainty, adding an unsettling layer to an already distressing situation.
While the identities of some detainees have been confirmed by colleagues or family members, the motives behind these actions remain elusive.
Notably, among the detained individuals are civilians with no apparent affiliations with any groups, according to a CNN conversation with one of their relatives and a statement from an employer, a news network.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor echoed the alarm, describing the Israeli army's actions as severe abuse against Palestinian civilians.
Reports suggest that Israeli forces launched arbitrary arrest campaigns targeting a diverse range of individuals, including doctors, academics, journalists and elderly men who have been displaced.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has yet to respond to any request for comment on the distressing images.
Adding a layer of complexity, Israeli media has portrayed the detainees as members of Hamas surrendering.
During a news conference, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari was questioned about the images, with a journalist mentioning the apparent arrest of Hamas members.
Hagari explained that, in the process of combating Hamas, individuals remaining in the area are systematically apprehended, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to dismantle strongholds associated with the group.
However, the situation takes a personal turn as Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, in a statement, revealed that one of its correspondents and several family members were among those detained.
The journalist, Diaa al-Kahlot, along with his brothers, relatives and other civilians, was reportedly arrested, subjected to humiliating searches and forcibly stripped before being taken to an undisclosed location.
Al-Arab Al-Jadeed's editor-in-chief, Hussam Kanafani, expressed deep concern and stated that al-Kahlot and his family were still missing.
Kanafani pledged concerted efforts, in collaboration with international institutions, to determine their whereabouts and secure their release.
In an interview, Hani al-Madhoun, a relative of one of the detainees, provided a harrowing account of the Israeli forces calling out all men from their refuge, a house and subjecting them to the humiliating ordeal.
The relative identified his cousin Aboud in one of the photographs and witnessed his brother Mahmood in a video.
Emphasizing their civilian backgrounds, he highlighted that Mahmood is a shopkeeper and Aboud is not involved in any activities, merely assisting his father in construction.
The treatment of the detainees in question has been compared to that of prisoners at infamous United States military prison, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq's Abu Ghraib, notoriously known for instances of torture and human rights violations.
