Tel Aviv [Israel], April 11: Footage has shown 10 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arriving at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Gaza. One man was unable to move and showed visible signs of torture.
The Israeli military released 80 Palestinian detainees at the Israeli-controlled Kissufim crossing in eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza, on Thursday, Anadolu agency reported, citing local sources.
According to a medical source, at least 10 of the freed prisoners were transferred to the Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza's Deir el-Balah for treatment, as they were in such poor health.
The source reported that one of the detainees is "in a very critical condition and unable to move," adding that his body bore "clear signs of torture".
In an interview with Al Jazeera, one of the freed prisoners reported "endless" abuse, with detainees forced to stand continuously from 7am until 11pm.
"Sometimes, they made us kneel for two or three hours straight. Anyone who moved was beaten. After that, they made us stand with our arms raised above our heads. If your arms dropped, they would beat you," he said.
"Every week, they would assault us and beat us with metal rods. Our chests and backbones are broken. Our knees too. The situation was unbearable - complete humiliation. There was no sitting, no sleeping, no food - nothing."
Israel has released Ahmed Manasra, who was detained at the age of 13, after a decade in prison that included solitary confinement.
Now 23 years old, Manasra has endured "all forms of physical and psychological torture," according to Palestinian prisoner networks.
Israeli authorities released Manasra on Thursday away from the main gate of Nafha Prison, where his family had been waiting to welcome him, Al Mayadeen reported. Instead, he was released in Bir al-Saba (Beersheba), where he encountered a local resident of the town who assisted in contacting his family, the report added.
In 2015, Manasra and his 15-year-old cousin, Hassan, were accused of stabbing two Israelis in the illegal Pisgat Ze'ev settlement in the occupied West Bank.
His cousin was shot dead at the scene, whereas Manasra was hit by a car and sustained serious head injuries while an Israeli mob jeered at him. Videos circulated at the time showed a young and distressed Manasra as he lay bleeding on the ground.
Manasra's lawyer, Khaled Zabarqa, told Al Mayadeen that his client was released in a highly fragile mental state, having endured torture and solitary confinement from 2021 up until the start of the current onslaught on Gaza.
He also said that he was subjected to the same harsh treatment and punitive measures imposed on other prisoners during the conflict.
"For several months, there has been an attempt to incite against him. We have a lot to say, especially about his health and psychological condition, and the priority now is to provide him with appropriate treatment," Zabarqa reportedly said.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, said the release of Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Manasra provides "immense relief" but is not a success. "Ahmed [sic] has endured years of torture, and his family has suffered with him," Albanese wrote on X.
"I truly hope Ahmed and his family will be able to find the time and space to heal the deep wounds of the tragic past decade," Albanese said. (Agencies)
Source: Qatar Tribune
