Israel releases Gaza detainees after months of arrest, abuse

Israel released several Palestinian detainees from Gaza on Monday after holding them for months under harsh conditions, according to a statement from the Hamas-run Prisoners' Media Office.

The office said the freed prisoners were transferred to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. It published the names of 11 individuals but did not disclose the total number of those released.

While the office did not detail their medical condition, detainees returning from Israeli prisons are often in poor health, some bearing physical injuries resulting from severe torture.

Israel has periodically released Palestinian detainees arrested since the genocide began.

On April 17, the Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that Israel had detained thousands of Gaza residents since Oct. 7, 2023, many of whom were held incommunicado under harsh conditions. The group said the detentions aimed to cause maximum harm and instill fear.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.