Israeli army releases Palestinian detainees from Gaza after months of detention

Several Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip were set free by the Israeli army on Monday after months of detention, the Hamas-run Prisoners' Information Office said.

In a statement, the office said the detainees were released at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza, without specifying their number or their health condition.

The freed detainees were transported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah for medical examinations, the office said.

Palestinian prisoners earlier released by the Israeli army showed signs of abuse, malnutrition, and severe injuries caused by torture during their detention.

On Oct. 13, Israel released nearly 2,000 prisoners, including 1,700 from Gaza, under a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement signed between Hamas and Israel. Most of those released at the time arrived in poor health, with several recounting experiences of torture, starvation, and humiliation inside Israeli prisons.

More than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, remain imprisoned in Israel, where they endure torture, starvation, and medical neglect, conditions that have led to the deaths of numerous detainees, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.

Phase one of the ceasefire deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Israel has killed nearly 69,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.