(Human Rights Watch) Two Israeli men with serious mental health conditions who crossed separately from Israel into Gaza in 2014 and 2015 have apparently been held by Hamas, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. Avera Mangistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who both have histories of wandering far on foot, have not been heard from since they entered Gaza. Hamas refers to the men as soldiers, but a Human Rights Watch investigation indicates that the Israeli men were not combatants or affiliated with the Israeli government when they entered Gaza. "Hamas' refusal to confirm its apparent prolonged detention of men with mental health conditions and no connection to the hostilities is cruel and indefensible," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "No grievance or objective can justify holding people incommunicado and bartering over their fates."
2017-05-03 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive