Palestine journalist abducted by Israeli troops speaks of custodial torture

London-based media outlet Al Araby Al Jadeed [The New Arab] has announced the release of one of its Palestinian journalists from Israeli custody, saying he faced custodial torture during more than a month of incarceration.

Diaa al Kahlout, who was among dozens of Palestinians seized by Israeli troops and stripped to their underwear in northern Gaza last month, was released back into the Palestinian enclave, the Qatari-owned outlet said on Tuesday.

In a report on its website, Kahlout told The New Arab he had faced "indescribably tough and difficult" conditions following his kidnapping by Israeli troops. The 37-year-old said he had been beaten and tortured.

"The moment I was detained, Israeli soldiers crowded round me and I heard the word "journalist" said more than once, before they gagged me with tape so I couldn't speak. They were mocking journalists and their work."

Kahlout told The New Arab he was subjected to beatings and torture several times, particularly by agents of the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency . "This included the "Shabah" technique — a torture method where prisoners are hung by their hands for hours or even days at a time."

Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders [RSF] has said following his arrest, the journalist was briefly held in Eshel prison in Israel and was subjected to torture, according to several of the organisation's sources.

'Endless attempts to silence Palestinian journalism'

Footage of the men, including Kahlout, stripped down to their underwear, was last month aired by Israeli media, which falsely dubbed them Hamas fighters.

The clips sparked outrage on social media, with Hamas denying the individuals were fighters of its armed wing, Qassam Brigades.

Some of the abducted Palestinian men, young and old, recently described enduring humiliating stretches of near-nudity as invading Israeli troops took sadistic pleasure even as officials claim seized men were "treated according to protocol."

RSF has said Israel has arrested a total of 38 Palestinian journalists since October 7 and is currently holding 31.

"This intimidation, this terror, these endless attempts to silence Palestinian journalism, whether by chains, bullets or bombs, must stop," said Jonathan Dagher, head of RSF's Middle East desk.

"We call for the immediate release of all detained journalists and for their urgent protection," he added.

Israel has killed 112 journalists so far, along with at least 23,210 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded 59,167, in its brutal war on Gaza. Another 7,000 Palestinians are feared buried under debris of annihilated buildings.

About 85 percent of the Palestinians have been uprooted by Israeli shelling and strikes, while all of them are food insecure, according to the UN.