Ten Palestinians detained from Gaza by Israeli troops were freed and returned to the territory on Thursday, saying they had suffered constant abuse while imprisoned.
Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians since it launched its military campaign in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. It has done periodic releases of detainees throughout the war, though this was the first since it restarted the war in mid-March, breaking a ceasefire with the militant Hamas group.
The 10 men, all dressed in grey sweatpants and shirts, were brought by bus to a hospital in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, where they were welcomed by family members.
They had all been detained from the northern Gaza Strip during Israel’s last offensive there before the January cease-fire. They said they had been held at least part of the time in Sde Teiman, a military prison camp that has become notorious for abuses of Gaza detainees.
One of the freed men, Fayez Ayoub, looked gaunt and walked with difficulty, supported by another man.
“I swear, Dad, every moment we waited for you to be released,” his daughter Marah Ayoub told him, crying. “Every time a prisoner was released, we went to him" to ask about her father.
“Torment, torment,” he told her.
Detained by Israeli troops on Nov. 6, he said “156 days have passed with us in agony. We are tortured and in pain.” He said detainees were abused every day and had little sleep. His daughter said he was seized by Israeli troops just after being released from Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza after suffering fractures in his pelvis and spine from an airstrike.
“Was this how my father was? And Is this what he has become?" she said, referring to his appearance. “He wasn’t like this.”
Another man, Hani Abu Sharif, said they were frequently beaten, stripped to their underwear, and forced to stand barefoot on stones, causing their feet to bleed. They were only allowed to shower every month or two, he said.
There was no immediate comment by the military. The army and prison authorities have said they abide by the letter of the law in the treatment of prisoners and investigate violations.
But there have been widespread reports of abuse of Palestinian detainees in military prison camps and civilian prisons, including frequent beatings and lack of medical care and food. Five soldiers have been indicted for allegedly raping a detainee with a knife at Sde Teiman.
In March, a 17-year-old Palestinian died at Megiddo Prison, a civilian-run facility, and doctors said starvation was likely the main cause of death. The Palestinian Authority says at least 61 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons since the war began.
Thousands of Palestinians continue to be held in Israeli detention, without charge or trial. Israel says it detains those it suspects of links to Hamas and does releases as it determines they are not connected to the militants. During the two-month ceasefire, Israel released hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians in return for the release of hostages held by militants in Gaza.
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