Israel releases 15 Gaza detainees with signs of emaciation, torture

Israel released 15 Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip on Sunday via the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, with several appearing emaciated and some bearing visible wounds, according to local sources.

The release comes as Israel continues to hold thousands of Palestinians detained from Gaza over the past two years, with rights groups and documented testimonies confirming that detainees are held in facilities lacking minimum humanitarian standards and subjected to torture, starvation, and medical neglect.

The Prisoners’ Media Office, a non-governmental body, said in a brief statement that the 15 detainees were transferred through the Kerem Shalom crossing and were on their way to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah of the central enclave, accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The statement did not provide details on their medical condition.

However, witnesses told Anadolu that the released detainees appeared severely thin and exhausted, with some showing signs of injuries.

More than 9,600 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 90 women and 350 children, according to official Palestinian figures.

A US-backed ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Oct. 10, halting Israel’s two-year war that has killed more than 72,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 172,000 others since October 2023.