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21:55 GMT
WASHINGTON, April 17 (KUNA) -- The US Department of State said they are aware of reports that some UNRWA staff members and other people detained by Israeli forces in Gaza were subjected to ill treatment, including severe beatings and being forced to strip naked.
"We're deeply concerned by these reports and will continue to press and engage directly with our Israeli partners on the need for a full investigation into these allegations and accountability for any perpetrators," Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the Dept. Vedant Patel said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
"But beyond that, I don't have any specific conversations to read out. We, of course, are in touch with our Israeli partners all the time," Patel noted.
"But broadly, though, we continue to call on all parties in the region, call on Israel to do more to protect humanitarian aid workers, to improve deconfliction mechanisms, and to pursue full accountability for incidents of harm against aid workers," he added. (end)
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