A now viral image of a handcuffed, stripped and wounded Palestinian man at the hands of an Israeli soldier has sparked outrage and raised serious concerns about torture and abuse of detainees.
An image of a stripped, handcuffed and wounded Palestinian man with a soldier towering over him is the latest to cause widespread outrage and serious concern about Israeli soldiers documenting atrocities against civilians in Gaza.
This “trend” was included by South Africa’s legal team in its argument to the International Court of Justice last month that there was “evidence of genocidal intent” by Israel in its actions in Gaza.
The now viral image, reportedly posted by Yosee Gamzoo, who appears to be the featured soldier, has since been deleted, and his account closed. The tortured Palestinian, stripped to his underwear, with blood pouring from a wound in his leg, stares defiantly at the soldier. The soldier’s hand, visible in the image, appears bloodied.
Another image posted by reporter Younis Tirawi on X shows the detainee being escorted in a street by a group of soldiers. He is already stripped in that image.
Tirawi posted that according to local sources, the detainee has been identified as “Hamza from Shujaiyah neighborhood, East Gaza City.”
“Before his arrest in the footage above, Israeli military killed his father, his brother’s wife and his two nephews (infant and a child 2 yrs),” Tirawi said.
According to local sources. He is name is Hamza from Shujjaiya Neighborhood, East Gaza city.
Before his arrest in the footage above, Israeli military killed his father, his brother’s wife and his two nephews (infant and a child 2 yo), his brother was also killed back in 2014. pic.twitter.com/I2bWNlDGx2
— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi) February 5, 2024
Social media users denounced the image, with some likening it to the atrocities committed against detainees at Guantanamo Bay and the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
“If they don’t have any shame or conscience publishing this, think about all the scenes they won’t publish,” was one comment.
On X, another comment was that “this powerful image perfectly encapsulates the Palestinian struggle. Israeli oppression. Humiliation. Brutality. The asymmetry of the conflict. And Palestinian defiance in the face of it all.”
Trend of Documented Atrocities
Questioned about the image during a press briefing on Monday, Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department said it was “deeply troubling” but had “no knowledge or information as it relates to the circumstances surrounding that incident.”
He said the Israeli military should “speak to those specific situations”, adding that “we have been clear to them that humanitarian law needs to be respected.”
This powerful image perfectly encapsulates the Palestinian struggle.
Israeli oppression.
Humiliation.
Brutality.
The asymmetry of the conflict.And Palestinian defiance in the face of it all.
— Amir Eloush (@amireloush) February 5, 2024
Images shared previously by Israeli soldiers have shown scores of blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian men who were stripped to their underwear before being transported on the backs of trucks to undisclosed locations.
Soldiers have also shared images and video footage of their actions in Gaza including detonating buildings and setting homes on fire. A Telegram channel called “72 Virgins – Uncensored” was reportedly set up to document soldiers’ activities.
According to an article in The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday, “the channel’s administrators posted graphic content, including videos in which the bodies of terrorists can ben seen…”. The paper reports that “the military admitted to Haaretz earlier this week” that “an IDF Psychological Warfare unit” operated the “unauthorized” channel.
On Tuesday, the Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor issued a statement highlighting testimonies of torture and ill-treatment received from recently released Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip, including women and children. The rights organisation cited revelations of crimes such as forced nudity, sexual harassment, and threats of sexual torture, calling for urgent international action to stop these violations.
Strip Searches, Severe Beatings, Dog Attacks – Testimonies by Freed Gazan Detainees
The rights body stressed that “Israeli forces are forcibly disappearing Palestinian detainees and subjecting them to brutal violence and even severe torture from the very first moment of their arrest right up until the moment of release.”
Euro-Med pointed to the concerning lack of an accurate count of detainees from Gaza. “The Israeli army recently claimed that there are 2,300 detainees in Gaza; however, estimates based on the testimonies of those released suggest that the actual number of detainees is much higher,” it said.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Please NOTE the Jew Soldier’s finger showing the sign of the Devil
Israelis are filthy, disgusting, demonic cockroaches. Their thirst for blood and mayhem will never be sated. We need to move them all to Antarctica and let them devour themselves into oblivion.
Hamas should take note carefully of this soldier as well as the rest like him committing these atrocities so in the end justice is served to the hapless Palestinian victims and their families vs these Nazi Israelis. The ICJ must now issue a final and definitive ruling on the SA genocide case vs this Nazi Israel State.
Just like the humiliation campaign at Gitmo, where US soldiers did this same thing.
The real question is, who took that photo?
He may be stripped, bloodied and bound but he cuts a far more dignified figure than the armed soldier standing over him!