Nearly 2,000 Palestinian Abductees Freed in Latest Exchange, Over 9000 Remain in Israeli Torture Camps

Israel released 1,968 Palestinian abductees on Monday, as part of the latest exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance in Gaza. Among them were 250 serving life sentences and 1,718 hostages from Gaza who were kidnapped during Israel’s recent genocide campaign.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club confirmed that this marks the third major exchange since the genocide began. Previous deals freed 240 abductees in November 2023 and 1,777 more in early 2025, bringing the total number of released detainees since the genocide’s start to 3,985.

Torture, Disease, and Starvation in Israeli Prisons

Despite these releases, over 9,100 Palestinians remain in Israeli detention camps, enduring systematic torture and inhumane treatment. Palestinian detainees face beatings, electrocution, sexual assaults, starvation, and denial of medicine. Many have developed chronic diseases and skin infections like scabies. Israel also holds the bodies of 726 Palestinians, including 67 children.

Special units such as Metzada, Nahshon, and Keter conduct night raids inside cells, using gas bombs and stun grenades. At least 78 detainees have died in custody since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Families of detainees, especially in the West Bank and Jerusalem, face intimidation and arrests for celebrating their relatives’ release. At least 70 freed detainees from earlier deals were later re-detained.

A Long History of Prisoner Exchanges in Palestine

Prisoner exchanges have been a defining part of Palestinian resistance for more than five decades. Each deal has reflected not only a tactical victory but also a symbol of persistence under occupation.

• 1968 – The First Exchange:
  The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) secured the first-ever prisoner swap after resistance fighters hijacked an Israeli El Al plane. Israel released 37 Palestinian detainees, including those serving long sentences, in return for the safe release of Israelis who were on the plane.
• 1971 – Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi Exchange:
  Fatah traded Israeli soldier Shmuel Faiz for Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi, the first captured fighter of the modern Palestinian revolution. Hijazi had been sentenced to death but survived through this exchange.
• 1979 – Operation Al-Nawras:
  The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) released an Israeli soldier captured in South Lebanon, and Israel released 76 Palestinian and Lebanese abductees, including 12 women.
• 1983 – The Ansar Prison Deal:
  After Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Fatah negotiated the release of 4,700 Palestinian and Lebanese detainees from the notorious Ansar camp, in exchange for six Israeli soldiers held by the resistance.
• 1985 – “Operation Galilee” Exchange:
  The PFLP-GC achieved one of the largest swaps in history. Israel freed 1,150 Palestinian abductees, including fighters from all factions, in exchange for three captured Israeli soldiers.
• 2009–2011 – The Gilad Shalit Deal:
  Following five years of captivity, Israel released 1,027 abductees in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Hamas. The deal included 33 women and more than 200 detainees exiled to Gaza or abroad.
• 2023–2025 – The Gaza War Exchanges:
  During Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Hamas made three major exchanges, freeing nearly 4,000 hostage Palestinians, including women, children, and long-term detainees. The latest release follows a ceasefire agreement brokered through Egyptian and Qatari mediation and US involvement.

Freedom Still Far Away

Despite the celebration, Palestinian resistance factions stress that freedom remains incomplete. Thousands of abductees, including 400 children and 52 women, remain behind bars. Hundreds are held under administrative detention without charge, while many Gazan hostages are labeled as “unlawful combatants”, stripped of basic rights.

The Prisoners’ Affairs Authority urged international bodies to act. It called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit Israeli prisons and expose ongoing crimes. “The world cannot remain silent while another face of genocide continues inside Israel’s prisons,” the agency said in its statement.