Footage shows aftermath of Israel's 'strip-search' of Palestinians in Jabalia

A journalist documented a scene in Jabalia, northern Gaza, where reportedly 150 to 200 Palestinians were forced to strip down to their underwear before being detained by Israeli forces. Video footage taken by the journalist shows a large amount of clothing scattered across the area, seemingly evidence of multiple detentions and strip searches suffered by Palestinians during the Israeli offensive in northern Gaza.

Journalist Belal Motajja stated that some Palestinians were taken away while others were beaten and left in the cold. Israel has previously defended this practice, claiming its soldiers can force Palestinian detainees to undress—even in cold temperatures—to search their clothing and check for explosives.

The UN Human Rights Council accused Israel in September 2024 of using forced nudity "designed to degrade and humiliate victims." Other human rights organizations have also condemned the practice. Previously, eyewitnesses told Middle East Eye that Israeli forces forcibly removed unarmed, hungry, and besieged Palestinian civilians from their homes in Jabalia and surrounding areas, going house to house.

Under the cover of heavy airstrikes and shelling, Israeli ground forces stormed homes and buildings used as shelters by displaced families, reportedly pointing guns at everyone and forcing them to leave. These buildings, including UN schools and houses, were then bulldozed or burned by Israeli soldiers to prevent people from returning.

Jabalia resident Mohammed Awais told Middle East Eye in October that Israel had set up military barracks in the Sheikh Zayed Towers area of northern Gaza, where soldiers interrogated and tortured men. “The soldiers made us line up; every five people stood in front of the camera, and they filmed us. They called out the people they wanted and arrested many from the towers. They forced them to take off their clothes, put on white clothes, tied their hands, and blindfolded them,” Awais said. “At sunset, when it was dark, we were forced to walk towards Shuja’iyya. There were many checkpoints along the way, and tanks were kicking up dust around us.”

Ramy Abdu, chairman of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, stated, “These actions not only inflict physical pain but also leave lasting psychological trauma on the victims.” The offensive in northern Gaza began after a controversial proposal called the “General Plan” was submitted to the Israeli government, which would clear the area north of the Netzarim corridor (which bisects Gaza) of its residents in order for Israel to establish a “closed military zone.” Under the plan, anyone who chose to remain would be considered a Hamas militant and could be killed.

The besieged area remains under a severe blockade and media blackout, with soldiers accused of exacerbating hunger and malnutrition as part of Israel’s plan to “ethnically cleanse” Palestinians. Israeli human rights groups and major international aid organizations have called on leaders and the international community to stop the forced displacement of Palestinians in northern Gaza. Major aid organizations have warned that northern Gaza is being “wiped off the map,” urging world leaders to stop the “atrocities” being committed by Israeli forces.

Israel’s war actions against Hamas in Gaza are also the subject of an International Court of Justice case, where Israel is accused of committing genocide and is under investigation for war crimes. Ramy Abdu, chairman of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, said that the testimonies of Palestinians released from Israeli detention “are deeply disturbing.” Abdu told Middle East Eye, “These testimonies reveal a systematic pattern of abuse, including forced strip searches, sexual harassment, rape threats, severe beatings, dog attacks, and the denial of necessities such as food, water, and access to restrooms. These actions not only inflict physical pain but also leave lasting psychological trauma on the victims.”

“The use of such brutal tactics against vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly is reprehensible and a gross violation of human dignity and international law.” Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem accused the government in a 118-page report of implementing a policy of institutionalized abuse and torture against all Palestinian detainees since October 7, 2023. Torture has been documented in civil and military detention facilities across Israel, leading to the deaths of at least 60 Palestinians in Israeli custody in less than 10 months. B’Tselem stated that the systematic nature of the abuse in all facilities “undoubtedly indicates an organized, overt policy by the Israeli prison authorities.”

The report, titled “Welcome to Hell,” is based on the testimonies of 55 former detainees from the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Palestinian citizens of Israel, the vast majority of whom were detained without trial. According to the report, the torture suffered by prisoners includes: “frequent severe, arbitrary violence; sexual assault; humiliation and degradation; deliberate starvation; forced unsanitary conditions; sleep deprivation; the prohibition and punishment of religious worship; confiscation of all public and personal items; and denial of adequate medical care.” The human rights organization added that reports of sexual violence indicate it is “recurring, varying in severity, and perpetrated by soldiers or prison guards against Palestinian prisoners.”