One of the notable developments since the ceasefire accord, dozens of Palestinians ex-prisoners who were freed by Israel have presented gruesome proof of starvation and mistreatment.
On Thursday, over 600 were freed soon after Hamas returned coffins of four hostages. However, the release of two Palestinian women and 44 children was delayed by Israeli authorities. The swap marked the final scheduled swap in the first phase of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire agreement.
The majority of the Palestinians who were released were transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Younis due to the severity of their wounds. Additional individuals were sent to Egypt and the occupied West Bank for medical care.
Alaa al-Bayari, a man released, recollected his harrowing experience as a detainee of Israelis, with instances of torture, beatings, and humiliation. Greeting his daughter for the first time was a mix of emotions as he remembered the experience of being in prison. “We were forced to stand naked, water was thrown over us, and later on they tortured us using electricity,” he recalled.
Yahya Shrida, a released prisoner, used the words to describe Israeli prisons as bleak, likening them to graveyards. “We have been saved from suffering. It was like we have been dug up from our own graves,” he stated, recounting the incomprehensible hardships while under detention.
Accounts by Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum indicated that others of the returning Palestinians had been seriously wounded, with accounts of limbs being amputated due to torture. Family reunions were also tearful with many relatives weeping tears of joy at seeing their loved ones. Social media postings included videos of the dramatic contrast in the physical condition of released individuals, which provoked agonized reactions from family members.
In the West Bank city of Jenin, the emotional reunion was also recorded on camera as released captive Louay Saabneh met his son Jabal for the first time after years of separation.
Hamas previously had handed over four bodies of captives to Israel through the Red Cross. Israeli President Isaac Herzog reported that the following identities of the deceased had been verified: Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat, and Shlomo Mantzur.
In a statement, Hamas reaffirmed its “full commitment” to the ceasefire agreement and stated it is ready to begin negotiations on the second stage. The movement accused Israeli officials of attempting to sabotage prisoner releases and stated these attempts have “failed” and emphasized the necessity of beginning talks for the second stage of the ceasefire. Besides, Hamas called on the international community to address what it termed double standards in the handling of Israeli captives versus ignoring Palestinian detainees’ abuse.
