Hundreds of Palestinians released by Israel show signs of weakness and abuse during their detention.
Hundreds of Palestinians held at the Israeli prison released in Gaza have once again shown signs of weakness and abuse as part of the ceasefire agreement.
More than 600 Palestinians were released Thursday shortly after Israel said Hamas had given him the ffin, which includes the bodies of four prisoners. Israel delayed the release of two Palestinian women and 44 children.
This was the final scheduled swap as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.
Several Palestinians were taken by ambulance to the European Hospital in Khan Eunice in southern Gaza due to the severity of their injuries. Many Palestinians were also sent to Egypt and the occupied West Bank.
Ala Al Bayari, a Palestinian released to Gaza city, told Al Jazeera he witnessed “torture, beat, humiliation and everything you can imagine” while in an Israeli prison. He first met his 1 year old daughter.
“We got naked, water was thrown at us, and then they used electricity to tortured it,” he said.
Yahya Silida, a Palestinian prisoner released to Ramallah, described the Israeli prison as a cemetery.
“We were taken out of our suffering, as if we had been dug from our graves. He told Reuters.
“What we’ve experienced is a situation the mountains can’t carry. It’s very difficult to explain. It’s very difficult to talk about what we’ve experienced.”
Al Jazeera Tarekuabuasm, reporting from Gaza, said that Israeli torture in detention had cut off their limbs and some Palestinians returned when others were seriously injured.
“Many families are shedding tears after meeting their loved ones,” Abu Azoum said, “We have confirmed that some of the worst ways of torture at the hands of Israeli occupation forces have been seen.”
Video shared online by the Quds News Network shows the family and released a Palestinian crying after they arrived in Gaza.
Thabet Abu Khater, 66, arrives at a European hospital in Gaza who lost his leg after being released in the latest batch of prisoner exchanges between Palestinian resistance and Israel.
His release was along with the releases of hundreds of other detainees…pic.twitter.com/lpkbanxnyd
– Quds News Network (@qudsnen) February 27, 2025
One clip shows the family lamenting the debilitating state of his released relative, saying, “Look at the difference, ah, my god!”
At a reunion in the West Bank city of Jenin, footage shows that freed prisoner Louie Saabne met his son Jabal after years of imprisonment.
Previously, Hamas handed over the bodies of four prisoners to Israel via the Red Cross.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the bodies were identified as Ohad Yaharomi, Tsach Idan, Itzik Elgarat and Shlomo Mantool.
In a statement, the Palestinian group updated its “full commitment” to the ceasefire agreement and it is ready to enter negotiations in the second phase.
He also said that attempts by Israeli authorities to block the release of prisoners have been “failed”, adding that this means they have “no option” and that they will begin negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
The group also called on other countries to “stop double standards” in their Israeli prisoners’ discourse, while not mentioning the abuses suffered by Palestinian prisoners.
