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

A journalist has documented a site in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, where between 150 and 200 Palestinians were allegedly forced to strip down to their underwear before being detained by Israeli forces.
In the video taken by Belal Mortaja, dozens of pieces of clothing can be seen scattered around the area, in what appears to be evidence of the repeated detention and strip-searching that Palestinians have endured during Israel's offensive in northern Gaza.
Mortaja said that while some Palestinians were taken away, others were beaten and left out in the cold.
Israel has previously justified this practice, saying its soldiers can force Palestinian detainees to undress - even in low temperatures - to search their clothing and check for explosives.
A UN Human Rights Council inquiry in September 2024 accused Israel of using forced nudity “with the aim of degrading and humiliating victims”. Other rights organisations have also condemned the practice.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Witnesses have previously told Middle East Eye of Israeli troops going from school to school in Jabalia and nearby areas to forcibly remove unarmed, starved and besieged Palestinian civilians from their homes.
Under the cover of heavy air strikes and artillery shelling, Israeli ground forces attacked homes and buildings used as shelters by displaced families, forcing everyone out at gunpoint, according to witnesses.
The buildings, including UN schools and houses, are subsequently either razed or burned by Israeli soldiers to prevent people from returning.
'Wiped off the map'
Muhammed Owais, a resident of al-Faluja in Jabalia, spoke to MEE in October of Israeli military barracks set up in the Sheikh Zayed Towers area in northern Gaza, where men were interrogated and tortured by the soldiers.
"The soldiers made us line up; every five men stood in front of a camera, and they filmed us. They called out to whoever they wanted, arresting many people inside the towers. They forced them to take off their clothes and put on white clothes, tying their hands and blindfolding them," Owais said.
"By sunset, it was very dark, and we were forced to walk towards Shujaiyya. There were numerous checkpoints along the way, and the tanks kicked up dust around us."
'These acts not only inflict physical pain but also leave lasting psychological scars on the victims'
- Ramy Abdu, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor
The offensive in northern Gaza began after a controversial proposal named the "Generals' Plan" was presented to the Israeli government, which would see areas north of the Netzarim corridor, which cuts Gaza in two, emptied of its residents so Israel could establish a "closed military zone".
According to the plan, anyone who chooses to stay would be considered a Hamas operative and could be killed.
The besieged areas remained under a debilitating blockade and media blackout, with soldiers accused of exacerbating starvation and malnutrition as part of Israel's plan to "ethnically cleanse" Palestinians.
Israeli human rights groups and major international aid organisations have called on leaders and the international community to stop Israel's forced displacement in northern Gaza.
Major aid organisations have warned that northern Gaza is being "wiped off the map", urging world leaders to stop the "atrocities" committed by Israeli forces.
Torture in Israeli custody
Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza is also the subject of an International Court of Justice case in which it stands accused of genocide and an ongoing war crimes investigation.
Ramy Abdu, the chair of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, which has also compiled reports of torture in custody, said the testimonies of Palestinians released from Israeli detention were “deeply disturbing”.
Abdu told MEE: “These testimonies reveal a systematic pattern of abuse, including forced strip searches, sexual harassment, threats of rape, severe beatings, dog attacks and denial of necessities such as food, water and access to restroom facilities. These acts not only inflict physical pain but also leave lasting psychological scars on the victims.
“The use of such brutal tactics, particularly against vulnerable groups such as women, children and the elderly is reprehensible and constitutes a gross violation of human dignity and international law.”

In a 118-page report, the Israeli rights group B'Tselem accused the government of conducting a policy of institutionalised abuse and torture against all Palestinian detainees since 7 October 2023.
Torture was recorded in civilian and military detention facilities across Israel, leading to the death of at least 60 Palestinians while in Israeli custody in less than 10 months.
The systematic nature of the abuse across all facilities left “no room to doubt an organised, declared policy of the Israeli prison authorities”, said B'Tselem.
The report, titled Welcome to Hell, is based on 55 testimonies from former detainees from the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Palestinian citizens of Israel, the overwhelming majority of them held without being tried.
According to the report, the torture prisoners faced included: “Frequent acts of severe, arbitrary violence; sexual assault; humiliation and degradation, deliberate starvation; forced unhygienic conditions; sleep deprivation; prohibition on, and punitive measures for, religious worship; confiscation of all communal and personal belongings; and denial of adequate medical treatment.”
The rights group added that reports of sexual violence suggested it was “recurring with varying severity and carried out by soldiers or prison guards against Palestinian prisoners”.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.