The brother of a Gazan man who was filmed being detained in only his underwear says the footage “hurts” to see.
The video circulating on social media appears to show dozens of Palestinians – some stripped to their underwear and some with their hands behind their heads – being held by the IDF.
Sky News cannot independently verify when the images were taken.
Mohammed Lubbad said his brother Ibrahim is among them.
“I look at the video, and it’s hurting me,” he said, adding, “they are so young, like 19 years. All of them are studying at university. It’s ridiculous.”
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Image: Ibrahim was seen in an IDF truck carrying Palestinian prisoners
He also says the IDF “stripped and questioned” another 15-year-old brother yesterday.
“They took him. They took my brother who is 15 years, and they took off all his clothes and he cried,” he said.
He described what happened to those who were detained.
“All these people, they took them on the tanks and transported them… to the beach – which is horrific,” he said.
“They told me, ‘they tied our hands behind our backs for more than 20 hours. And they put us on the beach. We were freezing’.
“They were naked and they were freezing.”
Mr Lubbad said he was told those being held were questioned by the IDF “in the middle of the night”, with some people told to leave and others detained.
He added the IDF “released most of” those arrested.
“It’s like they are mocking us,” he said.
Image: Mohammed Lubbad
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy told Sky News the arrests in northern Gaza were of “military age men who were discovered in areas that civilians have evacuated weeks ago”.
“Those individuals will be questioned and we will work out who indeed is a Hamas terrorist and who is not,” he said.
Mr Levy insisted it was “important” for those who were held to be questioned.
“Hamas fighters have been deliberately disguising themselves as civilians,” he said.
“We will work out who needs to be detained, arrested and put to justice.”
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Journalist detained by IDF
Among those who were held was Diaa al Kahlout, a journalist for London-based Qatari-owned news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, also known as The New Arab.
Mr Kahlout was seen in a dark navy blue vest among detainees.
Sherif Mansour, regional co-ordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), demanded his immediate release.
He said the group is “deeply concerned” by reports of Mr Kahlout’s arrest, and said the IDF “should disclose his location, release him immediately, and take steps to ensure the safety of all journalists covering this war”.
Image: Journalist Diaa al Kahlout was among those detained yesterday
Lamis Andoni, editor and chief for Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, told Sky News the outlet last heard from the journalist “before he was arrested, while he was doing work as usual”.
She said: “His sister called and informed the organisation that he was taken from his home, and his little girl was left behind with his sister. They did not know where he was taken to.”
Source : Sky News
