Eight prisoners from Gaza released amid signs of torture and deteriorating health
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On Thursday evening, Israeli occupation forces released a number of prisoners from the Gaza Strip who had been arrested after October 7, 2023. The prisoners were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the Kerem Abu Salem crossing in southern Gaza.
According to local sources, the released prisoners were immediately transferred to the treatment wards of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza for necessary medical examinations. They appeared severely exhausted and malnourished, and showed signs of physical and psychological torture.
In a related development, the Prisoners’ Media Office of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, stated in a press release issued today that Gaza prisoners are subjected to systematic mistreatment in the Negev and Ramle prisons. They face threatening conditions that prevent them from conveying accurate information about their situation or sending detailed messages to their families. Updated data indicates that the number of Gaza Strip prisoners classified by the Israeli occupation authorities as “unlawful combatants” reached approximately 1,249 as of early February 2026. It should be noted that this figure does not include all Gaza detainees held in Israeli military camps and outside the official statistics.
According to official institutions, the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons exceeds 9,300, including 350 children and 56 women. Human rights organizations continue to report deteriorating humanitarian conditions within these detention centers.
