Palestinian paramedic recounts torture during 17 days of detention by Israeli army

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On December 2, Palestinian paramedic Abdul Karim Abu Ghali was in an ambulance with three of his colleagues on a mission to evacuate patients from Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.

Although a permit to travel north from the southern city of Khan Younis, passing through Gaza city en route, was pre-approved by the Israeli military, it did not spare him 17 days of detention.

Days after his release, the paramedic told media the harrowing details of his unlawful captivity amid a continuing war that has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians in 12 weeks of relentless bombing and fighting.

“When we reached a military checkpoint south of Gaza city, the soldiers kept us waiting,” Mr Abu Ghali told media.

Waiting at checkpoints was a familiar procedure to him, as he had already made the same trip six times before, transporting wounded Palestinians from the north to the south.

“But that time, they asked us to get out of the vehicle; this was unusual,” said the 31-year-old. “That moment was the start of over two weeks of torture and humiliation.”

Mr Abu Ghali, father of four, all under seven years old, recounted the humiliation of being forced to strip down to his underwear.

“The physical assault was severe,” he said. “We were slapped, kicked and prodded with rifle butts during interrogation at the checkpoint.”

Throughout the six hours it took to transport them to Israel, Mr Abu Ghali and his other three paramedic colleagues were kept blindfolded and almost naked.

They were then given T-shirts and pants to wear in the cold.

“During the interrogation, a uniformed Israeli soldier stepped on my head with his military boots, pressing it with a vengeance against hard, sharp rocks. For a moment, I thought I had gone blind,” said Mr Abu Ghali.