By Husni Nedim
GAZA, Palestine (AA) - Abu Muhammed revealed to Anadolu the torture he endured during his nine days in captivity in the besieged Gaza Strip under attack by Israeli forces.
Israel faces accusations of torturing detained Palestinians since it attacked Gaza on Oct. 7.
Muhammed, detained in a raid in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, expressed shock that Israeli soldiers instructed residents to come out.
He described how they were forced to undress and walk naked. Their homes were burned in a line-up, causing "immense sorrow."
Muhammed, along with others, recounted being taken to a market and being forced to kneel in the cold for about "five hours" before being transferred to the Zikim area near Israel.
-Torture and humiliation
Muhammed said the Israeli army released some that night, but 80 people, including himself and his brothers, were detained in an undisclosed location.
They faced brutal beatings and insults from Israeli soldiers during their transfer, he stressed.
He noted that before examination and inspection, the Israeli army compelled them to sit naked on the ground for four hours.
Palestinians were moved to a prison where they were not given a place to sleep or rest and were attacked within 30 minutes of entering the cells, said Muhammed.
Muhammed, who was transferred to the Shufat Prison in occupied East Jerusalem with fellow detainees, described harsh conditions.
He said the food and water were of poor quality and toilets lacked water and hygiene.
Despite sustaining an injury, he, like others, faced beatings, insults and physical torture during detention.
-Pain and Suffering
Muhammed, reflecting on the pain during his detention, mentioned, "In addition to the lead wound on my hand, I experienced severe back and foot pain."
He said doctors diagnosed him with "cartilage damage."
Stressing that they were released near the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing in southeastern Gaza, he noted they were instructed to enter Gaza through the Rafah Border Crossing.
"Those who found their families at the Rafah Border Crossing could return home, while those who didn't were lying there in severe cold and pain," he said.
A statement from Gaza's government Media Office on Dec. 29 reported that Israeli forces detained 2,600 Palestinians in Gaza, including eight journalists and 40 health care personnel.
Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7.
At least 22,185 Palestinians have since been killed and 57,035 injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas offensive.
The attacks have left Gaza in ruins, with most of the population displaced and facing shortages of food, water and medicine.