We continued going through the houses and I remember some house we entered where I was standing guard over the family's room on the ground floor. On the top floor above, there were these stairs that, like in most Arab houses, are never finished, so you hear everything. I remember there were commanders there as well. Anyway, two guys were held up there, for no good reason I think, and they were beaten to a pulp. Literally.

Two detainees?Two detainees. The family too… If I'm not mistaken, it was there that one of them lost consciousness, after being terribly beaten up, and then we left.

You know about commanders being present?We always had an officer with us, most of the time it was our own platoon commander, a paratrooper, don't remember his name. There were commanders on the ground all the time, and the company commander always knew what was going on.

There was no explicit order forbidding beatings?Yes, and I remember the name of the battalion commander now, it was ***. He was there, present at most places. He was outside all the time, driving around town.

And the guy who went unconscious?I don't know. After he lost consciousness we left the house. He was left there. I think someone said an ambulance was supposed to come, and they left the house like that.