Palestinian female detainee says she bears signs of beating on her body from Israeli forces

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Etaf Jaradat, who was released in the fourth batch of a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel, said Palestinian female detainees have been exposed to severe beatings and insults after an attack by the resistance group early last month.

"After Oct. 7, women detainees, including me, were isolated in solitary confinement, and I was exposed to beating and the signs of beating are on my body," Jaradat told Anadolu.

She said Israeli authorities sought to break our morale but failed.

"As if I am living a dream, after two years of hard detention I am free today, we broke the gate (of the Israeli) prison," she said.

She said the general situation in Israeli jails are "very difficult" where all contents from prison cells of fema,e detainees were taken by authorities.

Jaradat, from Silat al-Harithiya near Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank, was detained two years ago and two of her sons are in Israeli jails.

Under the prisoner swap deal, 50 Israelis were released in exchange for releasing 150 Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails. The release of prisoners were implemented in four batches during the four days of a humanitarian pause in Gaza.

Qatar announced an agreement late Monday to extend the four-day humanitarian pause in Gaza for an additional two days, under which further prisoner exchanges will be carried out.

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 Ahmed Asmar