Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Blood throughout his face, and his eyes swollen, Ramadan Shamlakh arrived at a hospital after passersby discovered him struggling to stroll southwards from northern Gaza.
The 21-year-old man mentioned he had endured beatings, a stripping and a battle crime – he was used as a human defend – by Israeli troopers after they raided his household house within the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza Metropolis on Tuesday morning.
His story, and his determined escape on foot to the south, got here because the Israeli military renewed its floor army operations within the neighbourhood within the east of Gaza Metropolis, prompting residents to flee once more in the direction of al-Shifa Hospital to the town’s west.
Shamlakh was at house together with his mom, his injured brother, and his 4 sisters, after they had been all shocked by tanks advancing and surrounding them within the space.
“It was round 6:30am when the Israeli troopers blew up a wall in our home after which opened fireplace randomly at us.”
“The troopers brutally attacked me and my brother, who has been affected by a foot damage for the reason that 2014 battle, and beat us extensively,” Shamlakh mentioned.
“We had been telling them that we’re civilians and it’s not our fault, however to no avail,” Shamlakh informed Al Jazeera, whereas receiving remedy at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah within the central Gaza Strip.
He mentioned the troopers insulted his mom and sisters with “obscene phrases” and “compelled them to take off their hijabs”. When an offended Shamlakh informed his sisters and mom to not take heed to the troopers, he was thrashed.
“Then the troopers detained my mom, my sisters and my wounded brother and took them to a route I have no idea. Then they took me, handcuffed me, and compelled me to stroll in entrance of them on the steps to go looking the higher flooring.”
What adopted, in line with Shamlakh’s account, was a battle crime underneath Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions. The troopers used him as a “human defend” as they entered flats on the 5 higher flooring. “I used to be opening the doorways for them and so they had been capturing arduous.
“Once we reached the final flooring, the troopers beat me like loopy with their heavy sneakers on my face, abdomen and eyes,” he mentioned. “There have been about 15 troopers, and so they all took turns hitting me with sneakers.”
He screamed, warned them that he may lose his sight – however they saved kicking and stomping on him. The troopers interrogated Shamlakh about Hamas tunnels and his whereabouts on October 7 and whether or not he had participated in that day’s assaults.
“I repeatedly asserted my civilian standing and dissociation from Hamas, however they weren’t satisfied and saved beating me.”
One soldier, Shamlakh recalled, “was kicking my head each time I raised it. One other one grabbed a knife and began chopping my fingers whereas I used to be screaming.”
After a interval of torture and interrogation, the troopers ordered Shamlakh to take off his garments, stay in his underwear, and head south. “I used to be strolling with nice problem, my physique bleeding and my face coated in blood. The chilly chilled me to the bone, and I shivered uncontrollably.
“After a short time of strolling, I noticed tanks on the highway, so I raised my fingers in give up. One of many tanks pointed its cannon at me. An Israeli patrol stopped me, interrogated me for some time, then launched me.”
![Gaza resident brutally assaulted by Israeli soldiers [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/5Q8B8768-copy-1708595732.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
Shamlakh continued strolling for about two and a half hours till he finally reached an Israeli checkpoint.
“On the checkpoint, Israeli troopers stopped me there and requested me who I used to be. They questioned me about my accidents,” Shamlakh recalled. “Regardless of explaining that they had been inflicted by the military, they doubted my account.”
The troopers detained Shamlakh for almost an hour, standing within the chilly with blood streaming from his face, earlier than permitting him to cross.
“There have been corpses of useless canines round me, and lots of flies had been gathering on them. The flies had been approaching my face and on my wounds.”
A brief distance from the place Shamlakh crossed the checkpoint, he met some passersby who rushed to assist him, gave him some garments, after which known as for an ambulance to take him to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
“Passersby helped me attain right here.” He mentioned. “Till now, I’m anxious trying to achieve out to my household in japanese Gaza.
“I have no idea something about them, whether or not they’re alive or not.”
