Image from Gaza: The “Bare Bodies” Weapon Distresses Northern Residents

31st October 2024

3 minutes read

Image from Gaza: The “Bare Bodies” Weapon Distresses Northern Residents

Weary faces and bare bodies tell a thousand stories… Here in Jabaliya, northern Gaza Strip, the frame of a terrifying scene is complete.

An image published by CNN shows a large crowd of more than 200 people among the rubble of Jabaliya camp in northern Gaza.

The image, taken on Friday according to the American network, shows residents of the refugee camp trying to leave the area after being ordered by the Israeli army to evacuate amidst ongoing ground operations there.

Most are men, many almost nude, some elderly, others wounded. Among the crowd, there is at least one young girl, as reported by Al Ain News and viewed on CNN.

Eyewitnesses told CNN that they were detained and most were ordered to strip as they attempted to flee their homes in Jabaliya camp, before being held for hours in the cold.

The image reveals the scale of destruction that has hit the camp due to intensified Israeli bombardment on northern Gaza in recent weeks, triggering a massive displacement and humanitarian crisis, a year after a conflict sparked by a Hamas attack on Israeli towns that resulted in about 1,200 deaths and dozens taken hostage.

According to humanitarian organizations and the UN, the Israeli bombings have displaced nearly all of Gaza’s residents, worsening severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

The UN estimates the debris from destroyed buildings in the besieged Palestinian territory to be over 42 million tons.

Grim Details

Palestinians evacuating northern Gaza claim they are being shot at by the Israeli army.

The photo was first shared on an Israeli Telegram channel, and although it is unclear who took it, several men in the image told CNN that Israeli soldiers were filming them during detention.

CNN spoke with five individuals featured in the image. One of them, named Mohannad Khalaf, said that he, his wife, and his infant son were trying to escape the camp through a designated safe passage when they were stopped by the Israeli army.

“We were all gathered in one place—men, women, children, and the elderly. It was 11 a.m. By 4 p.m., they asked the women and children to proceed, carrying all our bags and belongings,” Khalaf explained over the phone.

While he noted that women and children were allowed to leave, he continued, “Once they left, the men were ordered to strip down to their underwear. We complied. We sat in the cold for several more hours, and it was extremely cold. They insulted us during this time, called us names, laughed, and took pictures.”

According to Khalaf, the men in the crowd shown in the photo were directed to advance in groups of five to be searched by Israeli forces before being allowed to move toward Gaza City, designated by the army as a “safe place.”

Story of the Little Girl in the Photo

The young girl in the image is Jouri Abu Ward, aged three and a half, who was riding her bike with her father to reach Gaza City when they were detained at a checkpoint.

Jouri’s father, Mohamed Abu Ward, told CNN that he was forced to strip and was held with Jouri for eight hours. He added that the girl was not asked to undress but could not leave the area as she was with him.

Frequent Searches in Gaza

For more than three weeks, the Israeli army has besieged Jabaliya and launched a new ground operation there, cutting off most supplies and forcing residents to leave amid heavy fighting.

The army claims to have seen signs of Hamas rebuilding in the area, despite a year of intense bombings and two prior ground operations.

Furthermore, the Israeli army has issued repeated evacuation orders for northern Gaza, including leaflets dropped over Jabaliya warning residents to “evacuate immediately.”

While the army declined to comment on the situation captured in the photo, it acknowledged routinely detaining and searching people as part of its operations in Gaza. It did not respond to CNN’s inquiries regarding the elderly, the injured, and the young girl in the image.