Gaza Herald_Families of Palestinian prisoners, former detainees, and human rights activists gathered Monday outside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Gaza, calling for urgent international action to protect Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and secure their release.
Participants carried signs and chanted in support of prisoners, urging the international community to intervene to end what they described as ongoing abuses and deteriorating conditions inside Israeli detention facilities.
Former prisoner Ahmad Abu Ras said Palestinians held in Israeli prisons deserve the same international attention given to Israeli captives, calling on governments and international organizations to press Israel for their release.
He criticized what he described as a double standard, arguing that the international community should apply equal pressure to secure the freedom of Palestinian detainees.
Abu Ras said prisoners continue to face medical neglect, denial of healthcare, hunger, physical abuse, torture, and other forms of collective punishment. He added that these conditions have contributed to the deaths of approximately 93 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody since October 7, 2023.
Thousands Remain in Israeli Custody
According to the latest figures released by Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups, about 9,400 Palestinians were being held in Israeli prisons as of early July.
Among them are 1,320 detainees classified by Israel as “unlawful combatants,” including Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, who rights groups say is being held without formal charges or a fair trial.
At the same time, Israel continues to withhold information about the fate of hundreds of detainees from Gaza, refusing to disclose their locations or health conditions.
Rights organizations say the lack of information has intensified concerns for their safety amid repeated testimonies documenting alleged torture, starvation, and medical neglect inside Israeli detention facilities.
Palestinian prisoner institutions report that more than 100 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli prisons and military detention facilities since the start of the war, while the identities of 90 of those who died have been publicly confirmed.
