Reports from the Gaza crossing authority on Monday revealed that approximately 150 detainees from the Palestinian territory have been released by Israel, with allegations of mistreatment during their time in detention.
During a military offensive in Gaza that lasted over six months, Israeli soldiers conducted mass arrests of hundreds of Palestinians, detaining them without charge before gradually releasing groups of them.
The Gaza crossing authority stated that the recently released detainees were transported to Israel and then returned through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, with some of them receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Rafah, located in the southern part of the besieged territory.
Hisham Adwan, the spokesman for the Gaza Crossings Authority, commented, “Since the early hours of the morning, 150 prisoners from various parts of the Gaza Strip who were detained by the Israeli occupation have been released. It is evident that these prisoners have faced severe mistreatment, as some of them required treatment at Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital.”
While the Israeli military did not provide a statement regarding the detainees’ release, they did assert that mistreatment of individuals in detention is strictly prohibited.
The military elaborated, “Those individuals not involved in terrorist activities are released back to the Gaza Strip,” as per a statement given to AFP.
Israeli military officials also maintained that detainees are handled in compliance with international legal standards.
Last month, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, expressed concern over the condition of Gazans released by Israeli forces, stating that they returned “completely traumatised” and reported experiencing a range of ill-treatment.
According to Lazzarini, the reported incidents of abuse included threats of electrocution, forced nudity during photography, sleep deprivation, and the use of dogs to intimidate the detainees.