Three more Israelis and 183 Palestinians were released during the fifth exchange in the first phase of the shaky Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Seven of the released Palestinians last Saturday were immediately transferred to the hospital for medical treatment and many shared accounts of torture, beatings, starvation, and medical neglect. Unicorn Riot heard the stories of several Palestinian detainees released at Gaza’s European Hospital.

“Israeli prisons are like Guantanamo, like Abu Ghraib, they are very difficult prisons.” – Shaker Agha, released Palestinian detainee

The release took place amid continued threats of forced expulsion in Gaza by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside the ongoing siege and ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank that has forcibly displaced over 40,000 Palestinians. On Monday, two days after the fifth exchange, Hamas halted further captive releases citing continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, including delaying the return of Palestinians, killing dozens of Gazans and delaying aid and entry of goods. Hamas said they’re committed to the terms of the ceasefire “as long as the occupation adheres to them.” Full story and more in links below.