Last month Israel Defense Forces soldiers returned a group of dozens of migrants to Egypt shortly after they were caught crossing the border between Egypt and Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported according to Israel Radio Thursday.
An Eritrean witness reportedly told a medical human rights group that the IDF separated a group of 67 Africans by gender, held the men for hours without food four hours throughout the night, returned them to the border, and ordered them to pass through back into Egypt, while soldiers shot in the air to signal to the Egyptian soldiers stationed on the other side.
The witness told Israel Radio that he escaped with some friends back into Israel.
The report comes as the High Court is pending an appeal made by human rights groups which opposes the return of infiltrators to Egypt.
The state had announced in response to the appeal that migrants who cross illegally can only be returned once a documented interview is conducted, and it is assured that the migrant will not encounter any life-threatening situations upon crossing back over the border.
A medical spokesperson said that soldiers followed military orders for the migrants' return, and the operation was carried out in accordance with international law.