"They beat us every day'

Bel Trew speaks to Palestinian prisoners freed in the Gaza ceasefire who allege they suffered abuse inside Israeli jails

- Bel Trew

Palestinian prisoners released during Gaza’s ceasefire deal have alleged abuse inside Israel’s jails – saying they feel “mixed” emotions about being freed as they fear the fragile truce will not hold and that they may be arrested again.

Ecstatic crowds waving flags greeted the buses that left the sprawling Ofer prison complex in the occupied West Bank early on Monday. Inside were 90 Palestinian prisoners, all women, teenagers and children, many of whom say they were abused and tortured inside Israel’s detention system – allegations that Israel has repeatedly denied.

They were freed as part of a long-fought-for ceasefire brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt. The initial six-week period of the three-phase ceasefire will see Hamas release 33 hostages it seized during its bloody attacks on 7 October. In exchange, almost 2,000 Palestinians in Israeli detention are also set to be freed.

After 15 months inside Gaza, the first three hostages, including British-Israeli citizen Emily Damari, 28, were reunited with their families in emotional scenes at Tel Aviv’s central hospital on Sunday. It took until early Monday morning before the prisoners were released, after scuffles with Israeli security forces outside Ofer.

Among the released was 17-year-old secondary school student Thaer Abu Sara, who was arrested in the occupied West Bank in October 2023 – the second day of the war – on charges of participating in violent protests and allegedly having ties to Hamas. He says he was tortured in detention, including the use of electric shocks.

His family told The Independent that Israelis had barred them from holding celebrations or gatherings for the release of their teenager, and that they feared that any visitors who did come could be used as an excuse to arrest him again.