05:59 PM
Saturday, June 22, 2024
BBC
Video clips have spread widely on social media showing a young Palestinian man named Badr Dahlan after the Israeli army released him last Thursday as part of a group of 33 detainees from the Gaza Strip through the Kissufim (Al-Qarara) military crossing in the eastern Gaza Strip.
Among these detainees, 4 were transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, including the young man Badr Dahlan, a month after his arrest.
A picture of Badr Dahlan appeared on social media, showing signs of psychological distress, which raised questions about what he was exposed to during his detention.
A doctor at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported to the BBC’s Gaza Today program that Badr suffers from a psychological disorder resulting from the torture and harsh conditions he was exposed to during detention.
The BBC inquired about Badr Dahlan’s condition and the conditions of his detention, and he said in brief and garbled words that he was searching for his family’s whereabouts, and that he had heard that the Khan Yunis area had been completely destroyed, adding that he currently only wanted to “see my family and get out of here.”
For his part, Muhammad Hashem Dahlan, Badr’s cousin, said, “Badr is married and the father of a young girl. He did not suffer from any psychological problems previously, but the circumstances led to his recent illness, which worsened after the invasion of Rafah. We have made a lot of efforts.” “To get his medication, but to no avail… As a result, he did not take his medication for six months, and thus he became unable to recognize his surroundings.”
Muhammad added that Badr was living in a tent near Al-Aqsa University in Khan Yunis, with his father and brothers, while his mother left for treatment in Egypt, noting that Israeli army soldiers arrested Badr after he lost his way due to his worsening psychological state as a result of not taking medication.
He added that the family received a call stating that Badr was in a school in Deir al-Balah after his release from the hospital, stressing that Badr needed psychological treatment to regain his health.
The doctor at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, who the BBC spoke to, said that he asked the released prisoners about the conditions of their detention in Israeli prisons, where they told him that they were beaten, insulted, spit on, stripped, and attacked by police dogs.
These circumstances led to the martyrdom of some of them, such as Dr. Iyad Al-Rantisi and Dr. Adnan Al-Barsh, according to what the doctor reported from former detainees.
The doctor pointed out that “Badr was subjected to torture, which led to the deterioration of his health and psychological condition. He lost his mind and humanity and was no longer able to behave properly.”
“Palestinian detainees complain of torture in Israel”
Israel denies mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, and the Israeli military says it is “investigating allegations of mistreatment of detainees in Israeli facilities, but has refused to comment on specific cases.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian and international human rights groups criticized what they described as Israel’s mistreatment of Gaza detainees and repeatedly called on it to reveal their whereabouts and information related to their safety.
Last week, Israeli government lawyers said authorities had begun transferring prisoners from the military field hospital at the Sde Timan base in the Negev Desert, after groups including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel demanded the site be closed.
Widespread reports of ill-treatment of detainees in Israeli prisons have increased international pressure on Israel over its “conduct in the Gaza war,” now in its ninth month.
Last month, the US State Department said it was investigating allegations of Israeli violations against Palestinian detainees.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said in a report issued in April that prisoners reported ill-treatment throughout their detention.
She added that this included beatings, deprivation of food, preventing them from accessing water or toilets, hitting their hands, in addition to tying their feet with plastic bands, according to UNRWA.