Palestinian healthcare workers were rounded up from medical facilities in Gaza, sent to detention centres in Israel, and then severely mistreated and some tortured, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

An HRW report released on Monday detailed the alleged torture, threats of rape and sexual abuse by Israeli forces, denial of medical care and poor detention conditions that doctors, nurses and paramedics have faced since the war in Gaza began in October.

The detentions are part of the reason for the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system since Israel began the war, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.

“The Israeli government’s mistreatment of Palestinian healthcare workers has continued in the shadows and needs to immediately stop,” said Balkees Jarrah, acting Middle East director at the human rights organisation.

“The torture and other ill-treatment of doctors, nurses, and paramedics should be thoroughly investigated and appropriately punished, including by the International Criminal Court (ICC),” Jarrah said in a statement.

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