Israeli army strip Palestinian men and children in latest Hamas sweep

Dozens of Palestinians, including some who appeared to be minors, have been rounded up in a football stadium and stripped to their underwear in the latest attempts to filter suspected Hamas operatives. Footage showed predominantly men stepping onto the pitch and sitting in rows with hands held aloft as IDF soldiers in full military gear watched on. Similar footage from Gaza triggered outrage when released earlier this month, with critics denouncing the Israeli military for its tactics they said humiliated Palestinians. Some Israeli security officials berated the army for releasing the photos, saying strip searches could have been carried out in a more discrete manner. The Israeli military later said only 15-20 percent of the people captured there were arrested for having links to Hamas. The latest images show elderly men among the captives, and at least two people in the back row appear to be in their early teens or younger. Another shot of the stadium also showed a man in a wheelchair. A UN commissioner warned in October that the population of Gaza was becoming “dehumanised” due to relentless bombing and lack of basic utilities. #israel #gaza #palestine Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.