Hamas Military Spokesman: Investigation into Israeli Prisoner’s Death Reveals Guard’s Retaliatory Action
Abu Obeida, the military spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has reported that an investigation into the death of an Israeli prisoner in the custody of a Hamas guard has revealed that the guard acted in retaliation after receiving news of the death of his two children.
Abu Obeida’s Statement
In a statement on his Telegram account, Abu Obeida asserted that “the incident does not represent our ethics or the teachings of our religion in dealing with prisoners.” He clarified that the al-Qassam Brigades would tighten regulations following the recurrence of such incidents in two separate cases.
Abu Obeida also placed the responsibility for the suffering and dangers faced by Israeli prisoners squarely on the shoulders of Israel, accusing the Israeli government of “breaking all rules of humanitarian and human treatment in carrying out its savage genocide against our people.”
Previous Revelations
Days earlier, Abu Obeida had disclosed that two guards tasked with safeguarding Israeli prisoners had killed one prisoner and critically injured two female prisoners in two distinct incidents.
He held the government of Benjamin Netanyahu accountable for the Israeli atrocities committed in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing repercussions that jeopardized the lives of prisoners.
Israeli Response
The Israeli military has responded by asserting that the image released by Hamas is of a hostage who was killed and whose body the military recovered in November 2022.
During a press conference, an Israeli military spokesperson stated that they could not confirm the reports of two female prisoners being injured.
The spokesperson characterized the release of statements by the al-Qassam Brigades regarding Israeli detainees as “psychological warfare aimed at instilling fear among Israelis.”
On the other hand, Raed Abu Bdewi, a professor of international law at the Arab American University, remarked that the announcement of an investigation suggests that Hamas has internal systems for investigating its fighters.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Abu Bdewi emphasized that Abu Obeida’s statements underscore that this was an isolated incident, not representative of the movement’s approach and policy.
He highlighted the humanitarian treatment of the first group of released Israeli prisoners as evidence of this.
Contrasting Treatment of Prisoners
Abu Bdewi drew attention to the stark contrast between Hamas’s treatment of prisoners and the Israeli occupation’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners, which is characterized by violations, starvation, torture, sexual assault, and the use of prisoners as human shields.
He concluded by stating that the announcement of the investigation also sends a message to the Israeli public, urging them to pressure the political and military authorities to change their policies towards Palestinian prisoners and to hold Israeli leaders responsible for the well-being of their prisoners in Gaza.