March 17 (UPI) — Israeli forces continue to detain more than a dozen healthcare workers volunteering with the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Gaza, the organization said Sunday.
After releasing volunteer Tamer Fouad Salim Al-Qarm on Saturday, Israeli forces continue to detain another 13 volunteers, the PRCS said in a statement. Al-Qarm had been detained for 36 days after Israeli soldiers raided the Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis last month.
“Netanyahu’s continuous threats to invade Rafah pose a blatant challenge to the international and American consensus on protecting civilians,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday. “Blind revenge dominates the Israeli government and threatens the security and stability of the region and the world.”
While Israelis call for the return of some 108 Israelis detained by Hamas, thousands of Palestinians remain detained by Israeli forces.
According to data from the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, some 4,764 Palestinians were being held by Israel as of September-before the latest violence broke out-many of whom are detained with little justification or without being charged.
The human rights group Amnesty International said in November that after the latest war broke out between the Palestinian militia Hamas and the U.S.-backed Israeli forces, Israeli authorities “dramatically increased their use of administrative detention” without charges.
Amnesty International documented cases of Israeli soldiers torturing Palestinian detainees, including “severe beatings” and “humiliation.” The human rights group said that such torture had been occurring “for decades” before Hamas’ attack on October 7.
Meanwhile, data from the Gaza Health Ministry shows that 92 people have been killed in the last day — bringing the death toll in Gaza to 31,645. Of those killed, the PRCS said that some 8,900 were women.
And at least 16 ambulances operated by the volunteer first responders have been taken out of service because of Israeli attacks, the organization said, noting that medical workers enjoy protection under international humanitarian law.
