Freed Palestinian dies falling from high altitude, week after his release

GAZA CITY, Palestine

A Palestinian man recently freed from Israeli detention died Saturday after falling from a high altitude, according to the Hamas-run Prisoner Information Office.

Nael Ubaid, 46, was released last week under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel after spending 21 years in prison, the office said in a statement.

Ubaid was arrested in 2004 and sentenced to seven consecutive life terms plus 30 years on charges of affiliation with Hamas’ military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, following a harsh and prolonged interrogation.

During his imprisonment, Ubaid reportedly suffered from serious health problems and was denied family visits.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is set to release a total of 1,737 Palestinian prisoners by the end of the first six-week phase.

The three-phase truce, which began last month, temporarily halted Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The war has killed more than 48,000 people, most of them women and children, and has left the enclave in ruins.

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 on the enclave.