Allegations against the army:

Medics mistreated during operation in Gaza clinic

An employee of the Nasser Hospital inspects the damage after a bombing.

(Bild: APA/AFP/STRINGER)

According to a BBC report on Tuesday, medical staff were humiliated and mistreated during an Israeli army operation in a hospital in the Gaza Strip. The forces blindfolded them, held them for days and forced them to undress, according to the report.

The victims are also said to have been beaten with sticks, rifle butts and hoses. According to the BBC, one doctor reported that a soldier had broken his hand. The Israeli forces had painted a Star of David on a plaster cast. Other clinic employees reported having to kneel in uncomfortable positions for hours and being doused with cold water. Some employees of the clinic have been missing since the Israeli army operation, the broadcaster reported, citing relatives.

Pictures of prisoners in their underwear
The BBC also published a photograph showing men kneeling in their underwear with their hands clasped behind their heads in front of the emergency room building. Some of them are reportedly wearing gowns. Medics reportedly told the broadcaster that they had also been taken to a detention center unclothed (see below).

200 suspects arrested, weapons seized
Israel's army announced that no patients or staff were harmed during the operation. The allegations of mistreatment are not known. International law is always adhered to. It was a "precise and limited operation against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Nasser Hospital" in the city of Khan Younis, during which around 200 suspects were temporarily arrested and weapons seized in February.

Time and again, suspects are temporarily detained and their clothing is examined for hidden weapons or explosives. After the allegations came to light, the British government demanded a comprehensive investigation.