'Disturbing reports' coming from northern Gaza of mass detentions, mistreatment of Palestinians: UN

The UN human rights office said it had received "disturbing reports" from the northern Gaza Strip of mass detentions and ill-treatment of Palestinians by Israeli forces.

"Most were rounded up as they were attempting to move south or were taken during operations conducted on their homes, hospitals, schools and other places of refuge," the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement on Saturday, referring to the Israeli army order this October for people in northern Gaza to move to the south.

According to reports obtained by the UN office, "children as young as 12 and persons as old as 70 are among those detained" by the Israeli army.

Most of the detainees were subjected to torture and ill-treatment, the reports also noted.

"This includes allegations that many were forced to strip down to their underwear, were blindfolded and tightly handcuffed, and were filmed and photographed in deliberately humiliating positions prior to being transported, without their clothing and with little food or water, to unknown places of detention," the statement said.

A source said the Israeli army "claims that they have been detaining only 'Hamas affiliated' Palestinians," stressing that "Israel's instructions to civilians to relocate south in no way relieves Israel of its obligations under international humanitarian law."

Soon after Oct. 7, when the current conflict began, the Israeli army ordered people in northern Gaza to move south, implying that there was safety there, but many Gazans said they were attacked on the way to the south, where the attacks continued.

The UN office stressed that Israeli forces must ensure the protection and respect for the civilians remaining in northern Gaza.

"International humanitarian law requires that civilians are only detained for imperative security reasons," it said.