Video footage has emerged appearing to show the Israeli military detaining dozens of Palestinian men in northern Gaza – with some stripped to their underwear.
The video, circulating on social media, shows those held lined up in rows. Some appear to have their hands tied behind their backs.
A number of Israeli commentators originally incorrectly identified the location as Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
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They also claimed the images showed Hamas fighters surrendering to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Itay Blumenthal, military correspondent for Israel’s Kan News, later reported Israeli troops detained the men before checking if any of them were members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Image: Israeli Defense Force soldiers detaining Palestinians in north Gaza
According to Qatari news outlet Al Araby, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said the detainees were unarmed civilians unrelated to military operations.
Sky News cannot independently verify when the images were taken. The IDF has been approached for comment.
The New Arab, a Qatari-owned news outlet based in London, reported that at least one of the detainees was a journalist.
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Image: Israeli Defense Force soldiers detaining Palestinians in north Gaza
The images come as 350 more Palestinians died in the last 24 hours, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
IDF soldiers moved into Khan Younis as the war enters its third month, while Israel continues its ground operation into the south of Gaza.
US president Joe Biden also spoke over the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.
Mr Biden “underscored the importance of the continuous and sustained flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza” according to a White House statement.
Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu “agreed to remain deeply engaged to pursue every possible opportunity to free the remaining hostages”.
The White House later said Israel and Hamas are not close to agreeing a new humanitarian pause.
Source : Sky News
