1 August 2024: The Israeli occupation authorities released 15 Gaza detainees today who had been held in Ofer Prison, reported Wafa news agency. All were detained during the military offensive that began on 7 October. Following their release, the detainees received first aid at the Kissufim military checkpoint east of Deir Al-Balah before being transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, reports Middle East Monitor.
The move comes after the release of seven Palestinian detainees last week, including two women from the Gaza Strip, who recounted the torture and violations they suffered during their detention.
Khaled Mahajna, a lawyer with the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, recently shared harrowing testimonies from Gaza detainees during a visit to Ofer Prison. He indicated that some detainees had been subjected to sexual assaults after being stripped and beaten in sensitive areas of the body.
The lawyer also reported that police dogs attack detainees while their hands are tied behind their heads and highlighted that over 100 sick and wounded detainees are being left untreated amidst severe overcrowding in the prison cells. Moreover, he noted that detainees are forced to eat with their hands tied, receiving only one meal a day consisting of 100 grams of bread, a cucumber or a tomato, and a very small amount of yoghurt. He also pointed out that the bathroom facilities are exposed within the cells and that surveillance cameras are directed at them, with shower time limited to just one minute per inmate.
Periodically, the Israeli army releases Palestinian detainees arrested in its ground offensive on Gaza, which began last October. Upon release, detainees often show signs of severe torture and have revealed details of the inhumane treatment they received in prison; many suffer permanent disabilities.
Since launching its ground offensive in Gaza on 27 October, 2023, the Israeli army has arrested thousands of Palestinians, including women and children. Haaretz reported earlier this year that Palestinian detainees are subjected to beatings, being handcuffed to walls and forced to stand with their hands bound above their heads.
In May, CNN exposed gruesome details of abuse, torture and mistreatment of Palestinians from Gaza in one Israeli detention facility with doctors speaking to the news organisation about the torture inflicted on detainees. Released prisoners have accused medical staff at the facilities of taking part in humiliating and torturing inmates.
Some 9,700 Palestinians are detained in Israel’s jails, including 80 women and 250 children, according to estimates by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club. The organisation added that this number includes 3,380 administrative detainees who are held with neither charge nor trial, and two pregnant women.
