Rights group denounces widespread ‘abuse’ of Gaza medics in Israeli custody

GAZA (AFP): The Israeli branch of Physicians for Human Rights has condemned a widespread policy of abuse inflicted on Gazan healthcare workers in Israeli custody, denouncing mistreatment “amounting to torture”.

In a report, PHRI said that the Israeli military had detained more than 250 medical personnel and support staff in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.

More than 180 remain in detention without a clear indication of when or if they will be released, according to the report.

“Detainees endure physical, psychological and sexual abuse, as well as starvation and medical neglect amounting to torture,” it said, denouncing a “deeply ingrained policy”.

When questioned about the findings of the report published Wednesday, the Israeli Prison Service had not responded by Friday.

The Israeli army “takes such allegations very seriously. It thoroughly examines and investigates concrete allegations, and addresses them accordingly,” an army spokesman told AFP.

The army “operates in accordance with international law, and does not detain medical workers due to their work as such”, he said, adding that some detained medical staff “were found to be involved in terrorist activities, and some were even revealed to be members of the military wing of Hamas while simultaneously working at the medical institution.”

Healthcare workers were beaten, threatened and forced to sign documents in Hebrew during their detention, according to the PHRI report, based on some 20 testimonies collected in prison.

“Medical personnel were primarily questioned about the Israeli hostages, tunnels, hospital structures and Hamas’s activity,” the report said.

“They were rarely asked questions linking them to any criminal activity, nor were they presented with substantive charges,” it said, adding: “It appears the interrogations were mainly aimed at intelligence gathering.”