Israeli military admits to marking Palestinian detainees with numbers

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have acknowledged that soldiers wrote numbers on the foreheads and bodies of Palestinian detainees during an interrogation operation in the town of Qabatiya, located in the occupied West Bank. The incident occurred on Monday during a large-scale military raid involving 100 buildings, which resulted in the arrests of two primary suspects accused of planning attacks. While the IDF officially confirmed the practice, the action drew sharp criticism after a photograph surfaced showing a detainee with the number "44" marked on his forehead.

Ahmad Tibi, an Arab member of the Knesset, publicly condemned the act, describing it as an example of "dehumanization" that evokes dark historical periods. Local Palestinian sources reported a higher number of detainees and interrogated individuals than the official military figure, with allegations surfacing in the newspaper Haaretz that some individuals were subjected to physical beatings during the operation. The IDF stated that commanders are currently reviewing the incident to address the conduct of the soldiers involved.