Freed Palestinian prisoners gave a thrilling account of Israeli torture
Last Updated on July 27, 2024 9:42 am
Israel has released two women and six men from Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank. Eight Palestinians who were released said they were subjected to horrific torture in Israeli military custody.
On Thursday (July 25), two female and six male Palestinian prisoners were released, Al-Jazeera reported in a report.
After being released from Israeli forces, the eight Palestinians said they were tortured and threatened while in custody. Some of the male detainees showed signs of physical abuse, writhing in agony.
Al Jazeera’s Hind Khodari from Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip said the freed prisoners were “completely exhausted”. He said, ‘One woman could not walk. He was taken to the emergency department on a stretcher.’
Not all of these newly released prisoners were arrested at the same time. Among them, a woman was arrested after visiting the occupied West Bank with her child.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it provided first aid to the freed prisoners in front of the Kisufim military checkpoint and transferred them to Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza.
Khudari said that all the prisoners reported that they were tortured and threatened. They were not given proper medicine and clothes. These detainees were interrogated about Hamas members and Israelis held hostage by Hamas.
Earlier, Israel released several Palestinians detained in early July. Among them is the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Muhammad Abu Salmiya. He said Palestinians are being tortured daily in prisons.
“Several prisoners have died in interrogation centers and are being deprived of food and medicine,” Salmiya told a press conference after his release. He also reported on the beatings of prisoners.
Israel’s state-run Broadcasting Corporation reported in July that prisons were “full” as large numbers of Palestinians were being arrested following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel.
The Palestine Prisoners Society and the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Commission said 9,800 Palestinians have been detained in the occupied West Bank since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues to attack Gaza from all sides without paying attention to the international pressure. The valley was completely destroyed in their raid.
In the meantime, indiscriminate sniper attacks are being carried out on the residents who want to leave the area to escape the IDF airstrikes in the city of Khan Yunis. As Palestinians flee from one place to another in search of safe shelter, Gaza is bombarded everywhere.
The attack by Netanyahu’s forces has created a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. Even the shortage of daily necessities including food, water and fuel is at an extreme due to the decrease in the stock and supply of relief. There are no houses, hospitals, refugee camps or anything left. Gaza’s health system has completely collapsed due to continued Israeli attacks, limiting the operation of many hospitals.
In the meantime, the Israeli forces are arresting journalists without regard to any rules. According to the news agency Anadolu Agency, an NGO working in Israel says that Tel Aviv has detained at least 91 journalists since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza. There are also allegations that many are being tortured after being detained without charge.