File photo- A Palestinian man who had been detained by Israeli forces is welcomed by family and well-wishers as he arrives after his release for a check-up at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on July 1, 2024. AFP
The Palestinian paramedic group said they were taken from an Israeli checkpoint in the Gaza Strip to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah. Some wept when they were reunited with their relatives. Others showed signs of bruising to journalists.
One of those released, Zakaria Abu al-Eish, said he was caring for his ill father in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza when Israeli occupation forces stormed their home and detained him.
“For 55 days, I was handcuffed, blindfolded, deprived of sleeping, no rest, even food they brought us was for animals,” al-Eish told The Associated Press. “If you eat or not, no one cares. They dealt with us as non-humans.”
Israel has kidnapped some 4,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, according to official figures. About 1,500 were released after the army determined they were not affiliated with Hamas.
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