BBC investigation: Israeli troops accused of beating and humiliating Gaza hospital staff | BBC News

Palestinian medical staff in Gaza have told BBC journalists they were detained, blindfolded, forced to strip and repeatedly beaten by Israeli troops after a raid at their hospital.

Ahmed Abu Sabha, a doctor at Nasser hospital, described being tortured by Israeli forces. He said he was held for a week in detention, muzzled dogs were set upon him and his hand was broken by an Israeli soldier.

His account closely matches those of other medics who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. They told the BBC they were humiliated, beaten, doused with cold water, and forced to kneel in stress positions for hours. They said they were detained for days before being released.

The IDF raided Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in February 2024, saying intelligence indicated that members of Hamas were there. They also said Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October had been held at the hospital. Some of the hostages themselves have said they were kept at Nasser. Hamas has denied that its fighters operate inside medical facilities.

The BBC supplied details of the allegations of mistreatment to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). They did not respond directly to questions about these accounts, or deny specific claims of mistreatment. However they denied that medical staff were harmed during their military operation at the hospital.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Orla Guerin.

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