Hamas condemn Israeli abuse of released Palestinian prisoners
Hamas underlines that Palestinian prisoners released by the Israeli occupation forces
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A freed Palestinian prisoner, center, reacts as he arrives in the Gaza Strip after being released from an Israeli prison following a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Khan Younis, Feb. 1, 2025 (AP)
The Hamas Resistance movement stated on Sunday that the transfer of several freed Palestinian prisoners to hospitals for treatment underscores the brutality they endured at the hands of Israeli prison authorities.
In a press statement, Hamas declared that the "ongoing and horrific violations against our heroic prisoners in Israeli jails constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, necessitating immediate intervention from the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to stop these abuses and hold the perpetrators accountable."
The movement also called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to intensify efforts in monitoring the conditions of Palestinian prisoners and to ensure their rights are upheld under international humanitarian law.
Hamas reaffirmed its commitment, along with other resistance forces, to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, self-determination, and the removal of Israeli occupation, vowing to secure the release of all detainees.
An Al Mayadeen correspondent in Gaza reported that the prisoners released on Saturday as part of the prisoner swap with the Israeli occupation had been subjected to severe beatings for days prior to their release, with some suffering from broken ribs.
Former prisoner Issa al-Darabee’ from Ramon Prison underlined the suffering sustained by Palestinian detainees, stating that "Israeli authorities systematically imposed starvation policies on prisoners while their guards carried on with their lives as if they were at home."
Prisoners recount horrors
Recently released Palestinian prisoners and detainees have reported severe abuses committed by the Israeli prison authorities against them.
Testimonies from the detainees freed under the al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange with "Israel" have revealed the extent of the crimes they endured before their release from Israeli occupation prisons, including days of severe beatings by prison guards, which resulted in some sustaining rib fractures.
The Prisoners Information Office stated that these brutal practices reflect the level of abuse inflicted on prisoners in Israeli prisons, which has escalated to unprecedented levels since October 7, 2023.
The Information Office highlighted widespread physical and psychological torture, systematic starvation, and deliberate medical neglect, leading to the outbreak of diseases, including scabies, among the prisoners.
Additionally, officials from the ICRC expressed outrage over the manner in which "Israel" released Palestinian prisoners during Saturday’s prisoner exchange between the occupation authorities and the Palestinian Resistance, Press TV reported.
Issa al-Darabi, a prisoner released from Ramon prison, shared with Al Mayadeen the harrowing experience of Palestinian detainees inside Israeli jails. He revealed that the Israeli occupation was employing a policy of systematic starvation against the detainees, while its soldiers continued their daily lives as though they were in their own homes.
Freed Palestinian detainee Issa al-Derbaei exposed the brutal treatment he and others endured in "Israeli" prisons before their forced displacement from the occupied West Bank to Gaza in the fourth round of the prisoner-captive exchange.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 1, 2025
In a testimony to #AlMayadeen, he… pic.twitter.com/VTHgi6ANGY