Israel releases 37 Palestinian prisoners through Karem Abu Salem crossing

Thirty-seven Palestinian prisoners released by Israel were brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Sunday, for medical checks, Anadolu reports.

The prisoners arrived at the hospital through the Kerem Shalom / Karem Abu Salem crossing under the escort of teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Families waiting outside the hospital embraced their released relatives in emotional scenes.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said the released prisoners would undergo the necessary medical examinations and checks.

The ministry said their health conditions were extremely poor due to what it described as severe and systematic physical abuse and torture during their detention in Israeli prisons.

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According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, about 9,400 Palestinians were being held in Israeli prisons as of early July, including 1,320 detainees classified by Israel as “unlawful combatants,” in addition to administrative detainees held without charge or trial.

The group says the fate of hundreds of detainees from Gaza remains unknown because Israeli authorities continue to withhold information about their places of detention and health conditions.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club also says more than 100 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody since the start of the war in October 2023, attributing the deaths to torture, starvation, medical neglect, solitary confinement, sexual abuse and the spread of diseases, particularly scabies.

A ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, but Palestinian authorities say Israel continues to violate it through military operations, arrests and the expansion of its control over parts of the Gaza Strip.

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