Seven Palestinians released by Israel admitted to hospital

The Palestinian Prisoners Club stated that seven Palestinians released by Israel on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement were transferred to hospitals upon their arrival in Ramallah. This highlights the urgent medical needs of some released prisoners.

Israel released a total of 183 Palestinians on Saturday in exchange for the release of three captives held by Hamas. The Israel Prison Service said in a statement that the prisoners were "transferred from several prisons across the country" before being taken to the occupied West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Over 100 Palestinians returned to the Gaza Strip.

Abdullah al-Zaghari, head of a non-governmental organization, told AFP that "All the prisoners released today need medical care, treatment and examinations, because they have been subjected to brutal treatment during the past months. Seven of them were transferred to hospitals." The Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed that seven released prisoners had been admitted to hospitals for treatment.

This fifth exchange of captives since the ceasefire took effect last month comes as negotiations begin for the next phase of an agreement that could pave the way for a permanent end to the war. It is estimated that 4,500 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons, 310 of whom are held in "administrative detention" without trial. This underscores the ongoing humanitarian concerns surrounding Palestinian prisoners.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society stated that dozens of Palestinians released from Israeli prisons last week showed signs of torture and starvation. "With each release of prisoners, we discover the extent of the crimes committed against the prisoners reflected on their bodies, including unprecedented torture after October 7, starvation crimes, systematic medical crimes, and the spread of scabies among many," the group said in a statement last week, "in addition to severe beatings that the prisoners were subjected to before their release, which, according to many of their testimonies, lasted for days and in some cases led to broken ribs."

One of the released Palestinians said, "During the past 15 months, we have been subjected to the most brutal torture... Israelis treat us inhumanely. They treat animals better than us." Basil Farraj, an analyst at Birzeit University, said that the release of Palestinians "does not end" the harsh conditions suffered by others in Israeli prisons. He said Palestinians are seen as "second-class citizens" by Israeli authorities. He warned that Israel is likely to re-arrest some of those released, as it has done in the past.