The 60 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel were brought to Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday and reunited with their families. Among those arriving at the Nasser Medical Complex were prisoners brought in wheelchairs and others showing signs of injury.
Dozens of Palestinians gathered in the complex courtyard rejoiced at being reunited with their loved ones after months of separation. Medical teams carried out examinations to assess the prisoners' health conditions.
Prisoners recount torture they endured
Prisoner Abdullah Kilani, who arrived in a wheelchair, said the conditions of his detention were extremely harsh. Kilani stated that he was shot with a firearm alongside another prisoner while in prison. He said he was detained on Salahaddin Street in central Gaza in December 2024, first taken to Nakab Prison and then to Sde Teiman camp. Kilani added, 'I still can't believe I'm out of prison.'
A prisoner who did not wish to give his full name, identified as 'Abu Ibrahim,' said conditions in Israeli prisons were extremely harsh. He stated that they were held on concrete floors or iron sheets from morning prayer until evening, with no distinction made between young and old. Abu Ibrahim added that he was beaten with rifle butts.
Prisoner Muhammad Jabr al-Majdalawi, 43, said he was detained for 1 year and 9 months, including 6 months in Sde Teiman. He stated that he was isolated from the outside world throughout his detention, and learned he would be released only after meeting with teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross. Al-Majdalawi said, 'We suffered greatly, words cannot describe what we have been through. The prisoners are still in danger,' and called on international institutions and the 'free world' to act.
Israeli army statement and Sde Teiman camp
According to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli army announced that the prisoners were released after 'exhausting the investigation' into them and determining they were not wanted. Haaretz wrote that the 60 prisoners were held in Ofer Prison and the notorious Sde Teiman camp. The newspaper reported that this was the largest release since the prisoner exchange deal last October, but noted that the army this time said those released were not 'saboteurs.'
International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Amani al-Nauk said her teams facilitated the transfer of the 60 prisoners from the Kerem Abu Salem border crossing to the Nasser Medical Complex. Al-Nauk added that the committee has helped transfer more than 2,500 Palestinian detainees in the same way since 2023.
According to reports by Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations, the Sde Teiman camp is characterized by widespread violations against Palestinian prisoners, including severe beatings, prolonged shackling and medical neglect. Located in the Negev Desert in southern Israel, this military base is referred to as 'Israel's Guantanamo' due to its association with physical and sexual torture.
Situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons
According to data from the Israeli rights group HaMoked, Israel is currently holding about 1,300 Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip under the category of 'unlawful combatants.' The 'Unlawful Combatants Law' adopted in 2002 allows for indefinite detention without indictment or presenting sufficient evidence to a court. According to the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, this law deprives detainees of the safeguards provided by the Geneva Conventions and grants courts the authority to extend detention on security grounds.
According to Palestinian human rights organizations, there are more than 9,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, including 350 children and 84 women. Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel continues to detain Palestinians in raids and special operations in various parts of Gaza; additionally, hundreds have been killed or wounded as a result of bombardment and gunfire.
Israel occasionally releases limited groups of Palestinian prisoners it detained during its genocidal war on Gaza. Testimonies from human rights organizations and former prisoners reveal that torture, starvation and medical neglect are systematic in detention centers.
Over 73,000 people have been killed in Israel's attacks on Gaza, more than 173,000 wounded, and 90 percent of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.
