Sixty Palestinians detained by Israel return to Gaza, describe abuses

Sixty Palestinians held in Israeli detention were transferred to Gaza on Monday, arriving at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in visibly deteriorated physical condition. Many were frail and injured, with several unable to walk independently. The International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the transfer, and the released men were received by medical teams and relatives at the hospital.

This prisoner release marks the largest group returned since the initial phase of the ceasefire in Israel's military operations in Gaza commenced in October. According to Israeli rights group HaMoked, nearly 1,300 people from Gaza remain held by Israel classified as "unlawful combatants." Israel stated that the released men had undergone interrogations that determined they were "no longer security suspects."

The detainees had been labourers in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory prior to October 7, 2023. Several released prisoners provided accounts of their detention experiences. Abdullah Kilani reported being seized in December 2024 on Salah al-Din Street in central Gaza and held for more than 18 months, during which he and another detainee were shot. Another detainee identified as Abu Ibrahim described being kept seated on bare concrete or iron slabs and suffering injuries from guards wielding rifle butts. Mohammed Jabr al-Majdalawi, 43, stated he was held for one year and nine months and only learned of his release upon meeting Red Cross staff for transfer.

The men had been confined across Israel's most notorious detention facilities: Ofer, Negev, and Sde Teiman prisons. Palestinian and Israeli rights groups have documented systematic patterns of beatings, medical neglect, food deprivation, prolonged restraint, and deaths within these facilities. A United Nations commission of inquiry reported last month that Palestinian children arrested by Israel experienced torture, sexual abuse, and other mistreatment.

Approximately 9,600 Palestinians remain in Israeli detention, including children. The International Committee of the Red Cross stated it has been unable to access Palestinians in Israeli detention since October 2023 and has repeatedly demanded the ability to locate detainees and inspect their imprisonment conditions. Released detainees expressed concern for those remaining in custody, with al-Majdalawi urging international bodies to intervene.