Sixty Palestinians held by Israel released from detention in Gaza

Sixty Palestinians Detained by Israel Released from Prison

A group of sixty Palestinians, including some who use wheelchairs, arrived at a hospital in Khan Younis on Monday after being released from Israeli detention. The men were transported to Nasser Medical Complex for medical evaluation by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Relatives and medical teams gathered to greet them upon arrival.

This is the largest prisoner release since the first phase of the ceasefire in Israel’s conflict with Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023. The detainees were among nearly 1,300 people from Gaza being held by Israel as “unlawful combatants,” according to Israeli rights group HaMoked.

The men were released after interrogations determined they were no longer considered security suspects. According to Al Jazeera’s Moath al-Kahlout, the detainees were laborers in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory before October 7, 2023. The ICRC reported that conditions in Gaza had deteriorated under the Israeli blockade, making it difficult for the men to find food and shelter.

Among those released was Abdullah Kilani, who was held for over 18 months after being seized in December 2024. He described the conditions as “extremely harsh” and said he was shot along with another detainee during his detention. Another man, Abu Ibrahim, reported that prisoners were kept seated on bare concrete or iron slabs and was injured when guards beat him with rifle butts.

Mohammed Jabr al-Majdalawi, 43, told Anadolu that he was held for a year and nine months before learning of his release. He expressed relief and sadness, saying “words cannot describe what we went through.” The men were held in several Israeli prisons, including Ofer, Negev, and Sde Teiman.

The ICRC has been unable to reach Palestinians in Israeli detention since October 2023 and continues to demand access to locate them and inspect their conditions of imprisonment.

Source: Al Jazeera