Palestinian Medical Workers Detail Israeli Torture Amid Dire State Of Gaza's Health System

Warning: Story contains graphic, disturbing photos below.

Palestinian health care workers who were arbitrarily captured by the Israeli military are revealing the horrifying, and in some cases deadly, abuse and torture they faced at the hands of soldiers in detention ― further deteriorating Gaza’s health care system that’s already crumbling under Israel’s nearly yearlong siege.

A report published Monday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) included testimony from doctors, nurses and paramedics who said they faced humiliation, beatings, forced stress positions, prolonged cuffing, blindfolding and denial of medical care while in Israeli custody. These specific health care workers, now released, also described torture that included rape and sexual abuse by Israeli forces, and inhumane living conditions for the general prison population. Their testimonies are consistent with other credible reports about Israel’s inhumane treatment of detainees.

“The Israeli government’s mistreatment of Palestinian health care workers has continued in the shadows and needs to immediately stop,” Balkees Jarrah, HRW’s acting Middle East director, said in a statement earlier this week. “The torture and other ill-treatment of doctors, nurses and paramedics should be thoroughly investigated and appropriately punished, including by the International Criminal Court (ICC).”

Israeli officials have repeatedly denied inhumane treatment of detainees, maintaining that the prisoners are members of Hamas. In rare cases, the military launches an investigation into itself or into individual soldiers, which historically has not resulted in accountability.

Israel’s targeting of Palestinian health care workers has been occurring for years, but shot up after soldiers