On July 27, 60 Palestinian detainees were released from Israeli custody and returned to Gaza, arriving at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in a weakened, injured state, with many unable to walk. They were transported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to the medical facility for check-ups, where they were greeted by a crowd of relatives and medical staff.
This is the largest release of detainees since the first phase of the ceasefire in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza took effect in October 2023. According to the Israeli human rights group HaMoked, these individuals were among nearly 1,300 Gazans detained by Israel as alleged “unlawful combatants.” Israel stated they were released after investigations determined they were “no longer security suspects.”
Moath al-Kahlout, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, reported that the former detainees were laborers in Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. He added that conditions in Gaza have deteriorated under Israel's blockade, making it difficult for them to find food and shelter, affecting their recovery.
Abdullah Kilani, one of those released, was captured in December 2024 on Salah al-Din Road in central Gaza and held for over 18 months, during which he and another prisoner were shot. “The conditions were extremely harsh. I still can't believe I'm free,” he told the Anadolu Agency.
Another former detainee, Abu Ibrahim, said prisoners were forced to sit on bare concrete or iron sheets, and he was injured when guards beat him with rifle butts. “There was no distinction between young men and the elderly,” he said.
Mohammed Jabr al-Majdalawi, 43, was imprisoned for one year and nine months and only learned of his release when he met Red Cross staff. “I cried because we endured so much. Words cannot describe what we went through. The remaining prisoners are still in danger,” he urged international organizations to act.
The detainees were held in Israel's notorious Ofer, Negev, and Sde Teiman prisons, where human rights groups say Palestinians are arbitrarily abused as part of a systematic torture policy. Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations have continuously documented beatings, medical neglect, food shortages, prolonged detention, and deaths.
Currently, around 9,600 Palestinians, including children, are detained by Israel. A UN investigative committee reported in June that Palestinian children captured by Israel suffer torture, sexual abuse, and other mistreatment. The ICRC said it has been unable to access Palestinians in Israeli detention facilities since October 2023 and has repeatedly requested to locate and inspect their conditions.
