Gaza Herald – Israeli authorities continue to hold 43 Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip after the completion of their prison sentences, according to the Prisoners’ Media Office, which warned of deteriorating health conditions, prolonged separation from families and the use of additional detention measures to prevent releases.
The office said the prisoners had completed the sentences originally imposed on them but remained inside Israeli prisons, with some transferred to other forms of detention instead of being released.
Among the cases highlighted was Ibrahim Adel Shehadeh al-Shaer, from Rafah, who has been imprisoned since 2015 and completed a 10-year sentence. According to the Prisoners’ Media Office, his family has received little information about his condition, while concerns over his health have intensified after significant weight loss during his imprisonment.
The office also highlighted the case of Mahmoud Sami Mahmoud Ahmad, who had been scheduled for release in September 2025. Instead of being freed, he was transferred to administrative detention, under which Palestinians can be imprisoned without charge or trial on the basis of evidence withheld from them and their lawyers.
According to the office, Ahmad’s administrative detention has since been renewed three consecutive times while he remains imprisoned at Ramon Prison.
Prisoners Lose Weight as Detention Continues
Another prisoner identified by the office is Muhammad Yusuf al-Qudra, who is being held at Nafha Prison after completing an 11-year sentence.
The Prisoners’ Media Office said al-Qudra’s weight had fallen from 75 kilograms to 57 kilograms during his imprisonment. He also lost his daughter and several other relatives during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza while remaining behind bars.
Ahmad Bilal Abu al-Nour is being held at the same prison despite having completed his original two-year sentence more than two years ago, according to the office.
It said Abu al-Nour suffers from chronic illnesses and has lost 48 kilograms of body weight, raising serious concerns about his health as his detention continues beyond the completion of his sentence.
The office also documented the case of Yusuf Ramadan Qarmout, who completed a five-year sentence in June 2024 but remains in Israeli custody.
According to the organization, Qarmout has lost 36 relatives during the genocide, while his family remains unaware of the fate of his son, Muhammad Yassin.
Families Cut Off From Prisoners
Beyond the individual cases, the Prisoners’ Media Office warned that many of the Gaza prisoners have experienced prolonged disruption of communication with their families, leaving relatives with limited information about their health and conditions of detention.
For families in Gaza, that separation has unfolded during years of devastating war in which prisoners have lost relatives while remaining inside Israeli prisons.
The office said the physical and psychological conditions of the prisoners have deteriorated, highlighting dramatic weight loss and chronic illnesses among several of the men whose cases it documented.
It also condemned the practice of replacing completed prison sentences with new detention procedures rather than releasing prisoners when their original terms expire.
The office said continued imprisonment after the completion of sentences, including through additional detention measures, violates the prisoners’ legal protections and rights under international law.
The case of Mahmoud Ahmad illustrates how the practice can operate: after reaching the date when he was expected to leave prison, he was instead transferred into administrative detention and has remained imprisoned through repeated renewals of that order.
Administrative detention allows Israeli authorities to imprison Palestinians without filing criminal charges or holding a conventional trial, with detention orders subject to repeated renewal.
43 Gaza Prisoners Remain Behind Bars
The Prisoners’ Media Office says 43 prisoners from Gaza are currently being held despite having completed their original sentences.
An earlier statement issued by the office in July had identified 43 Gaza prisoners whose sentences had either already expired or were scheduled to expire by the end of 2026. Its latest statement says 43 prisoners have now completed their sentences and remain in Israeli custody.
The office called for an end to their continued detention and urged international and human rights organizations to intervene to protect their legal and humanitarian rights.
For their families, the completion of a prison sentence has not necessarily brought the expected return of a father, son or relative to Gaza. Instead, according to the Prisoners’ Media Office, dozens remain behind bars, some under new detention measures, while relatives struggle to obtain information about their health, location and prospects for release.
