Israel releases 8 Palestinian detainees from Gaza after months-long detention

By Mohamed Majed and Betul Yilmaz

GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL (AA) – The Israeli army released eight Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, including a woman and child, after months of detention, a rights group said on Wednesday.

The freed Palestinians were admitted by Red Cross vehicles to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah for medical checkups, the Hamas-run Prisoners’ Media Office said in a statement.

Signs of fatigue and exhaustion were visible on the released prisoners, witnesses said.

According to the only available data provided by the Israeli authorities, around 1,846 Palestinians from Gaza were arrested and held in Israeli prisons and military camps since October 2023.

Palestinian rights groups estimate the number of Palestinians held by Israel at over 10,100, including 45 women and over 400 children.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 54,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.