Since their Israeli jail release during the weekend dozens of Palestinian prisoners showed evidence of torture and starvation based on reports from the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. Among a total of 183 prisoners released on Saturday as part of a Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement the detainees walked free while wearing dirty grey prison uniform and displaying the lasting effects of their extended imprisonment.
People welcomed their family members back during the Khan Younis release in southern Gaza Strip but their joy mixed with sadness due to the prolonged separation. The care given to prisoners while under Israeli detention has become a significant cause for worry since their recent arrest. Many appeared frail and exhausted as they walked from the bus to the European Hospital, where they received medical attention before being greeted by cheering crowds.
“The state of these prisoners is a clear indication of the harsh conditions they endured,” said Qadura Fares, head of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. “They exhibit symptoms of malnourishment, physical abuse and psychological trauma. This is against their basic human rights and international law.”
The cease-fire agreement, reached after weeks of intense negotiations, includes provisions for the phased release of Palestinian prisoners in return for Israeli captives held by Hamas. The release of war prisoners has been praised as a step toward de-escalation, and yet the allegations of torture and mistreatment have loomed over the process.
Among those freed was Ahmed al-Masri, a 45-year-old father of four who had spent more than a decade in detention. “I don’t know how to express the pain that we went through,” he said, his voice shaking. “We were like animals, not given food or medical care, subjected to endless humiliation. I’m glad I’m free, but this will never heal.”
Many of the freed prisoners need urgent medical treatment — for malnutrition, untreated injuries and chronic diseases aggravated by years of lack of care, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has said. “The physical and psychological toll of detention is enormous,” said Dr. Samira al-Haddad, a physician with the European Hospital. “We’re doing everything we can to help them recover, but it will take time.”
They have faced condemnation from human rights organizations, which have long criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners. Palestinian detainees are mostly held in overcrowded and inhumane conditions, subjected to indefinite solitary confinement, and denied adequate medical care, said Amnesty International. “The treatment of Palestinian prisoners is a great stain on the official human rights credentials of Israel,” said a spokesperson for the organization. “These practices should stop at once.”
Israeli government
The Israeli government has vehemently denied the allegations, stating that all prisoners are subjected to normal international regulations concerning the treatment of any imprisoned person. “Israel adheres to the highest standards of human rights and ensures all detainees are treated properly,” said a spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service. “Any kind of mistreatment is baseless slander and politically motivated.”
Despite denials from Israeli government officials, the stories of released prisoners-the observations of physicians-create an awful picture of life behind bars. For many of the families, the joy of reunion has been diminished by the sadness of seeing their loved ones come out so physically degraded. “My son was taken a strong, healthy young man. Now he can hardly walk. What they did to him is unforgivable,” said Um Mohammed, the mother of one of the released prisoners.
The release of these prisoners comes amid an active process of reconstruction in Gaza to end humanitarian crises caused by years upon years of conflict and blockade. While there is a ceasefire-, and it should provide temporary relief, the underlying causes of the conflict remain unaddressed. Healing will be a long marathon for the released prisoners and their families.
The rising call for accountability and justice in the international community on the plight of Palestinian prisoners serves as the overwhelming reminder of the clash’s human cost. “These men and women are not a number or some form of statistics,” Fares declared. “They are lives leveled on all fronts by the effect of occupation.”
