Palestinian child prisoner details brutal beatings by Israeli forces

By Qais Omar Darwesh Omar and Zeynep Hilal Karyagdi Duran

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Muhammad Nezzal, a Palestinian child released as part of a prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, said some prisoners lost consciousness due to beatings by Israeli forces in prison.

Nezzal, who was arrested three months ago in Kabatiye, affiliated with Jenin in the West Bank and placed under "administrative detention" for six months, spoke to Anadolu after being released in the fourth group of the agreement.

Nezzal, who returned home with fractures to his body, said Israeli forces constantly raided the cells and beat prisoners.

"Some lost consciousness as a result of beatings in prison. There was a prisoner; after losing consciousness due to beatings, they took him out of the cell, and I think maybe he has died, but we couldn't learn anything about him. Occupation forces attacked us brutally. They beat some prisoners until they lost consciousness, and others cried from the severity of the torture," he said.

Nezzal, who noted fractures to his finger, bruises on his hand and various parts of his body, said his last month in prison felt like 20 years.

- Agreement on prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel

Under a prisoner swap deal that took effect Friday, 50 Israelis were released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children released from Israeli jails.

The releases took place in four batches during four days of a humanitarian pause, which was extended late Monday for two additional days.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

It has since killed more than 15,000 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas in Istanbul