Footage Emerges Displaying the Alleged Detainment of at Least Two Minors by IDF Alongside Palestinian Men in a Gaza Stadium

A video shared on social media seems to depict the detention of Palestinian men and at least two children by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a stadium in northern Gaza.

The footage includes scenes of what appear to be two young boys, dressed only in their underwear, walking with their hands raised as they are directed by the IDF in the stadium.

Another segment of the video shows figures, believed to be the same boys, stripped of their clothes and standing with their hands above their heads, aligned in single file with other male detainees, who seem to range from teenagers to adults.

The exact date of the video’s filming is unconfirmed by CNN. However, a geolocation analysis indicates it was shot in Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City. This location aligns with reports of detentions received by the NGO Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comments regarding the video and the detained children but has yet to receive a response.

Recently, there have been numerous detentions of Palestinian men and boys by Israeli forces. The IDF has previously stated that stripping detainees is a precautionary measure to ensure they are not carrying explosives.

Throughout the video, men are shown in their underwear, with some sitting on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs, others blindfolded, and some standing in lines while being inspected by soldiers.

The footage also shows women and children being detained. One scene depicts three fully clothed women, blindfolded and with hands tied, sitting on the grass in front of a soccer goal, next to which an Israeli flag hangs. Alongside these women are Palestinian men, stripped and blindfolded, with their hands also bound.

Military vehicles and bulldozers are visible throughout the stadium in the video.

The original video was uploaded on YouTube on December 24 by Yosee Gamzoo Letova, identified as a photographer and artist.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reports that the Israeli army has detained hundreds of Palestinians from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, including dozens of women brought to Yarmouk Stadium. The organization claims Palestinian males, some as young as 10 and others over 70, were forced to strip and line up in a degrading manner in the stadium, in view of the detained women.

The organization urges an international investigation into these detainment images.

According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, around 20,915 people have died in Gaza since the conflict with Israel began on October 7, with nearly 55,000 more injured. These figures, provided by the ministry, have not been independently verified by CNN due to restricted access and the difficulty of confirming numbers amidst the conflict.

Hamas states it will not resume negotiations with Israel without a complete cessation of aggression. Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, emphasizes the group’s demand for a permanent end to aggression and rejects temporary truces.

Meanwhile, Israel vows to continue its military actions, including aerial bombardments and ground invasions, until Hamas is eliminated. IDF chief of general staff Herzi Halevi declared that the campaign is set to continue for many more months to ensure long-term success.