Dozens of Palestinian teenagers, many of them children, as well as women detained by Israel in Gaza were released back to hugs and tears from their loved ones on Thursday, marking the latest release of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
As they disembarked from the Red Cross buses in the southern town of Khan Younis, the teenagers looked gaunt and skinny. Rights groups have alleged widespread mistreatment and abuse in Israeli prisons and military detention facilities.
Many detainees fell into the arms of their relatives, who have spent days waiting for them ever since Israel held up their release last weekend to protest what it called Hamas' cruel treatment of hostages during the releases.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club, a group representing current and former prisoners, said that those being released into Gaza on Thursday were 44 male teenagers ages 15-19 and two women.
The scenes came after Israel released 500 prisoners back into Gaza overnight, in exchange for Hamas releasing four hostage bodies.
Israel rounded up hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and has held them without charge on security suspicions.
