Over 9,100 Palestinians still in Israeli custody despite ceasefire prisoner release

Despite the recent release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under a swap deal with Israel, more than 9,100 Palestinians remain in Israeli custody, with rights groups raising serious concerns about their treatment.

15 October, Monday’s exchange saw the release of 20 Israeli captives held in Gaza, marking the third such swap between Israel and Hamas since the current conflict began in October 2023.

Earlier exchanges included the release of 240 Palestinians in return for 105 Israelis during a short truce shortly after the outbreak of war, followed by a larger swap in January and February that freed 1,778 Palestinians for 38 Israeli captives. In total, 3,985 Palestinians have now been released in exchange for 163 Israelis.

Nevertheless, over 9,100 Palestinians remain imprisoned, many without charge or trial, and human rights organisations describe their conditions as harsh and abusive. Prior to the conflict, Israel held around 5,000 Palestinian detainees, a number that has since more than doubled to over 11,100 by October 2025, before the latest releases.

Among those still in custody are 52 women, roughly 400 children and dozens of medical workers, journalists, activists and civilians accused of vague charges such as ‘incitement’. Additionally, 3,544 are being held under administrative detention, which allows indefinite imprisonment without trial, while hundreds from Gaza are detained under Israel’s ‘Unlawful Combatant’ law.

Prisoners swapped, hostilities paused but complexities remain in Israel-Hamas ceasefire

❗️One of the youngest Palestinian hostages, a teenage boy who was kidnapped as a minor, received an emotional welcome from his mother, sisters, and father after being released from Israeli occupation torture camps into Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis as part of the ceasefire… pic.twitter.com/Kpm0pYLjwf

— Translating Falasteen (Palestine) (@translatingpal) October 13, 2025

Rights groups report widespread abuse in detention, including physical and psychological torture, sexual assault, starvation, denial of medical care and poor hygiene. Since the start of the war, at least 78 prisoners have died under these conditions. Videos of detainees being mistreated even moments before their release have circulated widely, highlighting ongoing violations.

Many of those freed on Monday showed signs of severe physical and psychological abuse. Families of released Palestinians described their freedom as bittersweet after learning that at least 154 would be forcibly deported to third countries. These deportations, observers say, breach the citizenship rights of those released and underscore concerns about double standards in the swap deals.

These Palestinian hostages, kidnapped from hospital, held inside Israeli slaughterhouses will not be released pic.twitter.com/ylMwxg5RzK

— Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) October 12, 2025

“It is illegal to deport citizens of Palestine to foreign countries immediately upon their release,” said Tamer Qarmout, associate professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. “They leave one prison only to enter another, with severe restrictions in countries unfamiliar to them.”

Among prominent detainees whose fate remains uncertain is Dr Hussam Abu Safia, a hospital director in Gaza, who was detained by Israeli forces in December 2024.

Reports indicate he has been subjected to torture, and his release under the latest ceasefire deal remains unclear. Amnesty International has highlighted that he remains held without charge under Israeli security law.

Who are the Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for Israeli hostages?

A joint investigation by Israeli-Palestinian and international media found that only a fraction of Palestinian detainees from Gaza are believed to be affiliated with armed groups.

Israeli military intelligence estimates that three-quarters of those held under the ‘Unlawful Combatant’ law were not active members of Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, highlighting concerns that many civilians have been caught in mass detentions.

The latest prisoner releases, part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement, mark a temporary easing of the conflict, but human rights advocates continue to call for accountability and transparency in the treatment of Palestinian detainees.

Tala Nasser, a lawyer at Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, said: “Israel continues to block monitoring by the International Committee of the Red Cross, denying family visits and basic protections. The end of hostilities does not end the crimes committed against prisoners. Those responsible must be held to account.”

With AP & PTI inputs