ISTANBUL

The deteriorating health conditions of freed Palestinian prisoners reflect the systematic torture in Israeli jails, a Geneva-based rights group said Monday, calling the Israeli prisons “graves for the living.”

In a statement, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor shared an image of a freed Palestinian prisoner showing severe signs of health deterioration.

“The poor health of Palestinian detainees and prisoners released by Israel as part of the ceasefire agreements in the Gaza Strip reflects the terrible conditions they endured while in custody, including torture, mistreatment, and degrading abuses that persisted until the very last minute,” it said.

Hundreds of Palestinians were released by Israel in return for 18 captives under the ceasefire deal that took effect on Jan. 19.

“The majority (of prisoners) appeared to be in a serious state of decline, with each of them losing several kilograms of weight due to what appears to be intentional starvation,” the rights group said.

“Many of the inmates and detainees required immediate hospital transfers for critical medical examinations. One in particular seemed incapable of recognizing his future after being denied treatment while in custody.”

Torture facilities

The Euro-Med Monitor said the poor health conditions of the freed Palestinian prisoners demonstrate “how Israel has transformed its jails into institutionalized torture facilities.”

“Until the final moments before their release, most of the detainees endured psychological torture in addition to mistreatment and beatings.”

The rights group said the Israeli practices “constitute a blatant violation of human rights and the rights of prisoners and detainees guaranteed by international law because they mirror the abuse, humiliation, starvation, and systematic torture that they endured both during their detention and after being released.”

The violations “extended beyond subpar detention conditions and turned into a systematic policy of retaliation against all Palestinian prisoners and detainees,” it added.

“Detainees were subjected to severe torture, intentional starvation, and prolonged solitary confinement as part of punitive measures that ramped up brutally after the events in the Gaza Strip in an attempt to punish them for nothing more than the fact that they were Palestinians.”

‘Graves for the living’

The rights group cited the testimony of a freed Palestinian boy, who called the conditions in the Israeli prisons “graves for the living.”

"I call for a widespread protest against the sadistic practices of Israel towards Palestinian detainees,” Ramy Abdu, head of the Euro-Med Monitor, said on his X account.

“Demonstrations must be held in front of ICRC offices,” Abdu added.

He also urged authorities in Gaza “to expel UN Human Rights representatives and reprimand ICRC if a clear statement condemning Israel’s atrocities against prisoners is not issued within 3 days.”

Palestinian resistance group Hamas said the poor health conditions of the freed prisoners reflect "the brutality" of what Palestinians endure in Israeli jails.

Hamas called the abuse of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails “war crimes and crimes against humanity that require immediate intervention by the international community, the UN and the rights' group."

According to Israeli daily Haaretz, Red Cross representatives were "angry" over the way Israel released the last batch of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as they were led out in shackles with their hands behind their heads.

Unlike the frail Palestinian detainees, the freed Israeli captives from Gaza appeared in good health, dressed neatly, and were given gifts upon their release.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement halted Israel’s genocidal war that killed over 47,500 people and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year 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.