A Palestinian doctor says Israeli forces in Gaza detained him when they overran a hospital and subjected him to abuse during 45 days of captivity including sleep deprivation and constant shackling and blindfolding before releasing him last week, Reuters reports.

Doctor Said Abdulrahman Maarouf was working at al-Ahli al-Arab hospital in Gaza City when it was surrounded by Israeli forces in December. He described having his hands cuffed, his legs shackled and his eyes masked for the nearly seven-week duration of his imprisonment.

He said he was told to sleep in places that were covered with pebbles without a mattress, pillow or cover and with loud music blaring.

“The torture was very severe in Israeli prison. I am a doctor. My weight was 87kg. I lost, in 45 days, more than 25kg. I lost my balance. I lost focus. I lost all feeling,” he said.

“However you describe the suffering and the insults in prison you can never know the reality unless you lived through it,” he added.