Human Rights Watch has reported that Israeli authorities have detained thousands of workers from Gaza in isolation from the outside world since the operation on October 7th. The organization added in a statement that Israel subjected some of the workers to inhumane and degrading conditions and subjected them to mistreatment. Thousands more remain stranded in the occupied West Bank without legal status and are at risk of arrest by Israeli authorities, the statement noted.
The statement also highlighted that some were interrogated about their alleged links to or knowledge of the October 7th attacks. Michelle Randawa, an official for refugee and migrant rights at HRW, criticized the humiliating and unlawful detention practices, stating that seeking the perpetrators and instigators of October 7th "does not justify the mistreatment of workers who obtained permits to work in Israel."
Palestinian workers, who were later released, told HRW how they were tortured and humiliated. One stated he was stopped at a checkpoint where Israeli authorities blindfolded him, tied his hands tightly, and transferred him first to Ofer Prison and then to an unknown second location. "There, they forced me to strip naked… they took pictures of me… beat me severely, and I was naked during this, which was humiliating. The worst part was when dogs attacked me. I was blindfolded and shackled in metal chains, and I didn't know if someone was controlling the dogs or if they were left to attack me. It was terrifying," he said.
The man was also questioned and asked to identify his home on an aerial map of Gaza and questioned about specific individuals. He was then released on November 3rd at the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza.
Another man reported that Israeli police in Rahat (south) detained him along with other Gaza workers following the October 7th attacks and took them to a military base in Ofakim. "We were completely nude. They handed us diapers to wear and a thin white loincloth… and we remained blindfolded and bound by straps on our hands and feet for 10 days… We kept asking why we were being detained. We received no answer, just verbal assaults and threats of death," he added.
He recounted being beaten for hours, dragged across gravel facedown while tied to a wall or fence from his restrained hands, then beaten again and "every time I fell to the ground, I was forced to stand, and again (received) more beatings."
A third man working in Rahat stated that he was arrested with other workers and taken to a police station in Rahat on or around October 9th. While they were blindfolded and their hands tied behind them, "Israeli forces constantly insulted us… and threatened us with death," adding that they were not allowed to drink water or use the bathroom.
