The Israeli military says civilians had evacuated the area where the Palestinians were arrested, who were shown sitting on the ground in only their underwear.

Israeli soldiers take aim “Hamas strongholds and centers of gravity” before “arresting whoever remains in these areas to interrogate them,” the Israeli military said in reference to yesterday’s images of stripped Palestinian prisoners.

In particular, when asked about the images of the prisoners, the representative of the Israeli government Eilon Levi said that: “we are talking about people being arrested in Jambaliya and Sejaya in Gaza Citystrongholds of Hamas and centers of gravity of the battles”.

“We’re talking about military-age men who were discovered in areas that were supposed to have evacuated civilians weeks ago.”he added.

The Israeli army has informed civilians to leave the areas in Gaza where he plans to do business. But rights groups said there was nowhere safe for Palestinians to go amid relentless aerial bombardment.

Levy echoed the words of ID spokesman Daniel Hagariwho had earlier reported that the IDF is targeting the neighborhoods of Jambaliya and Sejaiya in northern Gaza, as they are “centers of gravity for terrorists.”

“They hide underground and come out and we fight them”, Hagari said. “Whoever is left in these areas is coming out of shafts, tunnels and some are coming out of buildings, and we are investigating who is connected to Hamas and who is not.”

“We arrest them all and interrogate them”he added, without specifying whether those depicted were members of Hamas or civilians.

According to images that have seen the light of day, dozens of prisoners marched in Palestine Square in Gaza Citywith shoes and sandals strewn on the street.

Israel’s Walla news agency said that the prisoners stripped “to rule out the possibility that they were carrying weapons”.

Hagari said that Israeli troops have arrested and interrogated hundreds of people in Gaza suspected of links to Hamas militants.