Released Palestinian prisoner unaware he was part of exchange deal between resistance, Israeli authorities
Date
1/26/2025 4:14:00 AM
(MENAFN) Khalil al-Baraqa, a recently released Palestinian prisoner, was unaware that he was part of the exchange deal between the resistance and Israeli authorities due to the complete isolation imposed on prisoners since October 7, 2023. Even upon his release to Ofer prison last Friday, al-Baraqa reported harsh mistreatment by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), claiming that abuse of prisoners is ongoing. On Saturday, Israel freed 200 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and long-term sentences as part of the exchange for four female Israeli soldiers. Al-Baraqa mentioned that due to torture and deliberate medical neglect, 53 prisoners have died in Israeli prisons, and scabies had spread widely among them.
Another released prisoner, Mohammed Al-Rajabi, confirmed that the occupation had completely prohibited visits and meetings with lawyers, and when lawyers were allowed, they were instructed not to report anything about the prisoners' conditions. Al-Rajabi also revealed that prisoners were given minimal food and drink and were deprived of contact with the outside world after their belongings were taken. According to Al-Rajabi, prisoners were sometimes subjected to severe torture, including long walks while handcuffed, shackled, and blindfolded. Zaid Bsissi, another freed prisoner, described his 15 months in prison as equivalent to 22 years due to extreme deprivation, starvation, and the erosion of their dignity. He stated that if human rights organizations had seen the conditions, they would have been appalled by the complete disregard for ethics in their treatment.
Asaad Zurub, another released prisoner, described Israeli prisons as "cemeteries for the living" due to the isolation and denial of visits, including those from lawyers. He explained that prisoners were sometimes denied water for up to a week and subjected to bitter cold, stripped of their clothes and blankets. Zurub also reported that electricity was completely cut off, and prisoners were regularly subjected to tear gas attacks. Zurub called on the resistance to continue pressing for the release of all prisoners, describing the conditions inside Israeli prisons as hellish, adding that he himself could no longer stand due to the exhaustion he endured.
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