Two Palestinian journalists have revealed that they were arrested and tortured by Hamas after criticising the terrorist organisation.

“I was blindfolded and forced to sit down on a tiny chair for three nights in a row. It was extremely cold and I was denied sleep,” Ramzi Herzallah, 27, told the Times. He and another Gaza-based journalist, Ayman al-Aloul, were held for more than a week this month.

Mr al-Aloul, who is editor-in-chief of the Arab Now Agency, said that he was beaten during his captivity. Both men had criticised tax rises and blackouts and published pictures of Gazans scavenging for food.

According to the Times, Mr Herzallah had referred to Hamas on social media sites as the “green occupation forces”.

The journalists had used social media sites to call for the Palestinian Authority to take over Gaza’s border with Egypt. Cairo closed the Rafah crossing for all but 21 days last year.

Mr al-Aloul said: “They [Hamas] managed to shut my mouth. I lost the battle and they obviously won it.”