Children among Palestinians stripped to underwear by IDF in Hamas search
Dozens of Palestinians, including some who appeared to be minors, have been rounded up in a football stadium and stripped to their underwear in the latest attempts to filter suspected Hamas operatives.
Footage showed predominantly men stepping onto the pitch and sitting in rows with hands held aloft as IDF soldiers in full military gear watched on.
Similar footage from Gaza triggered outrage when released earlier this month, with critics denouncing the Israeli military for its tactics they said humiliated Palestinians.
Some Israeli security officials berated the army for releasing the photos, saying strip searches could have been carried out in a more discrete manner.
The Israeli military later said only 15-20 percent of the people captured there were arrested for having links to Hamas.
The latest images show elderly men among the captives, and at least two people in the back row appear to be in their early teens or younger.
Another shot of the stadium also showed a man in a wheelchair.
A UN commissioner warned in October that the population of Gaza was becoming “dehumanised” due to relentless bombing and lack of basic utilities.
The new images come as Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, reportedly discussed “voluntary migration of Palestinians” in a private cabinet meeting.
The cabinet was thought to be discussing moving Gazans to a third country, with an ally of Mr Netanyahu saying afterwards that Israel is fielding inquiries about taking in refugees from the strip.
Israel has previously denied plans to move the population of Gaza.
Several Israeli media outlets including Israel Hayom on Tuesday quoted Mr Netanyahu as saying not a single country has volunteered to take in Gaza’s Palestinians but he reportedly said the government was “working on it”.
Mr Netanyahu’s fellow party member, who was at the meeting ,told the Kan radio on Tuesday that teleIsrael has begun fielding inquiries about taking in Gazans.
“Several countries have reached out to me, countries in South America and Africa – those are the countries that in the past had been in contact with the state of Israel and are willing to take in refugees,” Danny Danon, Israel’s former UN envoy, said.
“Some asked for payment, others asked for other things.”
Voluntary migration
Mr Danon said that he was talking about “voluntary migration of Palestinians who wish to leave.”
“It happens in every war. Look at what’s happening in Syria: 1.5 million went to Jordan, 3 million went to Turkey and another few million went to Europe,” he said.
Mr Netanyahu’s remarks, although not officially confirmed, were widely condemned in the region.
The remarks could be an attempt on the part of Mr Netanyahu to appease Israeli voters who are increasingly seeking a radical solution to the Hamas threat. But such plans are likely to anger Israel’s powerful allies like the United States that has insisted on a new government to rule Gaza and ruled out any ideas of expulsion.
Israeli media reports suggested that Israel could be facing delays in weapons supplies from the United States.
The Yedioth Ahronoth daily said on Tuesday the US has rejected Israel’s request to buy Apache helicopters for its operation in Gaza. Israel’s defence minister lobbied for the delivery with US defence secretary Lloyd Austin last week.
The IDF in a statement on Tuesday said its forces have detained individuals “suspected of involvement in terrorist activity”, insisting they were treated in accordance with international law.
“It is often necessary for terror suspects to hand over their clothes such that their clothes can be searched and to ensure that they are not concealing explosive vests or other weaponry,” the IDF said, adding that detainees are given back their clothes once the troops establish they are not hiding any weapons such as knives.
