Four Palestinians released as part of a ceasefire deal are in critical condition and have been hospitalised in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Israel released 369 Palestinians on Saturday in exchange for three captives in Gaza.
While the Israeli captives have generally appeared in good condition throughout the ceasefire exchange since last month, many Palestinians appeared to have lost an enormous amount of weight while in custody and some were seen struggling to walk due to their poor physical condition and physical torture.
Some have described the horrors they faced while in Israeli jails, where most of them were imprisoned without any charges.
At the Munich Security Conference, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini sounded the alarm over “Israel’s” ongoing assault on Palestinian refugees, which has forced over 40,000 Palestinians to flee their homes in the West Bank, alongside systematic efforts to dismantle the agency that serves millions of refugees.
Lazzarini stressed that UNRWA is under attack from multiple fronts: Israeli military aggression, political restrictions aimed at crippling its operations, and a disinformation campaign designed to delegitimize its work.
“The agency’s financial situation is more precarious than ever,” he stated. “We operate from hand to mouth, with no clarity about the future.” He warned that if these efforts succeed, the suffering of Palestinian refugees will only deepen, while their right to return will remain non-negotiable.
Ongoing Israeli Attacks on Refugees
Despite these challenges, UNRWA continues to provide life-saving assistance. In Gaza, the agency has delivered food aid to 1.5 million people, reopened health centers, and expanded healthcare services, providing 18,000 consultations daily. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, UNRWA schools educate 50,000 Palestinian children, and its health services remain operational despite Israeli military incursions.
But “Israel” continues to target UNRWA operations. Last week, Israeli forces stormed an UNRWA health center in Al-Arroub refugee camp near Beit Lahm, turning it into a temporary detention site during yet another violent raid. This attack is part of a broader strategy—since October 2023, Israeli forces have forcibly entered UNRWA facilities over 190 times, systematically undermining the agency’s ability to function.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office said that the condition in which the prisoners were released shows the “extent of the crimes and violations inside the prisons”.
One released Palestinian, Amir Abu Radah, told Al Jazeera that he spent 18 months in Israel’s Nafha desert prison, where authorities cut water and electricity.
“Our condition in prison was extremely difficult, and no one could bear it. For a year and a half, we have not had any means of communication, and we were isolated from the world,” he said.
Source: Aljazeera