DaysofPal-Despite the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners on Monday as part of a swap deal with the Israeli occupation, more than 9,100 Palestinians remain in Israeli detention, many facing harsh conditions and abuse.
The recent exchange involved freeing 20 Israeli captives held in Gaza, marking the third prisoner swap between the Israeli occupation and Hamas since the conflict began in October 2023.
Earlier exchanges included 240 Palestinians released during a short seven-day truce for 105 captives and a second swap in January-February that freed 1,778 Palestinians in exchange for 38 Israelis. In total, 3,985 Palestinians have been released in return for 163 Israelis.
However, the majority of living Israeli captives have now been returned, leaving over 9,100 Palestinians in custody.
Many are held without charge or trial in conditions described by rights groups as “torture camps,” where abuse, beatings, starvation, and humiliation are routine.
Before the war, about 5,000 Palestinians were imprisoned; that number rose to over 11,100 by October 2025, but fell to roughly 9,100 after the latest swap.
Among those detained are 52 women, around 400 children under 18, and numerous medical workers, journalists, activists, and civilians held on vague accusations such as “incitement.”
Currently, 3,544 Palestinians are held under administrative detention, allowing indefinite imprisonment without trial, while hundreds more from Gaza are detained under the Israeli “Unlawful Combatant” law, often despite having no involvement in military activity.
The number of Palestinians serving life sentences has dropped from 580 to approximately 62 following the exchanges, with at least 319 others serving long-term sentences also released.
Many recently freed prisoners showed visible signs of physical and psychological abuse.
Tala Nasser, a lawyer with Addameer Prisoner Support, condemned the continued mistreatment and the denial of International Committee of the Red Cross visits and family contact, stressing the ongoing need for accountability.
Since the war began, rights groups report widespread violations in Israeli prisons, including torture, sexual abuse, starvation, denial of medical care, poor hygiene, and prolonged isolation. At least 78 prisoners have died under these conditions in the past two years.
Even immediately before release, some detainees faced mistreatment, highlighting the continued suffering and use of prisoners as tools of retaliation.
Prisoner rights activists predict efforts to improve conditions will continue, as detainees plan to resist ongoing abuses despite the ceasefire.
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