Freed Palestinian Child Prisoner Reveals Harrowing Abuse in Israeli Detention
16-year-old Mohammed Abu Sahloul describes months of torture and inhumane treatment inside Israeli prisons, leaving his family barely able to recognize him after his release.
Watan-The freed Palestinian prisoner, Mohammed Abu Sahloul, who was released as part of a prisoner exchange deal, recounted the harsh suffering he endured inside Israeli prisons. He described his 13 months of detention as feeling like 3,000 years due to the torture and inhumane treatment he faced.
Abu Sahloul, only 16 years old, was arrested from the Gaza Strip. During his detention, his family had no information about him for months, unsure if he was alive or dead. After his release, his mother stated that she barely recognized him due to the drastic changes in his appearance, caused by abuse and mistreatment in Israeli prisons.
In his shocking testimony, Abu Sahloul revealed that he was subjected to daily beatings and abuse, especially in the days leading up to his release. He described how Israeli forces brutally assaulted him and other prisoners simply because they were not sitting evenly inside the cell, according to his account.
Abu Sahloul’s release came as part of the seventh batch of a prisoner exchange deal, where Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian detainees in exchange for a number of Israeli captives. However, the scenes following the release of Palestinian prisoners were heartbreaking, as signs of exhaustion and torture were clearly visible on many of their faces, sparking widespread outrage among human rights organizations.
Activists emphasize that Israel continues to violate the rights of Palestinian prisoners, while the international community remains silent on these crimes.
