Palestinian lawyers met with 26 Palestinians from Gaza abducted by occupation soldiers during the ground invasion of Gaza on August 12, where they are being held in Ashkelon prison.
A number of Palestinians continue to be unaccounted for following their disappearance during the Israeli assault on Gaza, when a reported over 250 Palestinians were arrested and taken for interrogation by the Shin Bet. Approximately 75 were released near Beit Hanoun; Muhammad Jabarin of Al-Mezan Center told Ma’an News that an additional 15 Palestinians had been held under the “Unlawful Combatant Law” and since released, and that three more Palestinians had been released at Erez crossing on Sunday, but then re-arrested. The law provides for the unlimited detention of Palestinians from Gaza without trial; it provides even fewer protections than administrative detention orders, the mechanism for detention without charge or trial used for Palestinians in the West Bank by the Israeli state.
Ma’an reported: “Mahmoud Abu Rahma, the director of communications for Al-Mezan, told Ma’an that three prisoners were released Sunday but re-arrested at the Erez crossing. He says the lack of access means it is difficult to establish why those named were arrested and how many more are in jail.
Israeli media have hinted that some were released in the Shalit exchange deal in 2011, but Abu Rahma says that the Unlawful Combatants law allows Israeli soldiers to arrest anyone they want until the case is reviewed by an Israeli court.”
On Tuesday, Palestinian lawyer Karim Ajwa reported that Khaled al-Najjar and Issa Najjar, both of Khuza’a in Khan Younis area, reported that they were seerely beaten and humiliated at the hands of occupation soldiers, and that they were taken in mass arrests in the early hours of the morning after numerous homes were destroyed by shelling anf bombing and young people remaining in the homes were rounded up.
The 26 names of detainees released are as follows, although a number of additional prisoners are being held; Ma’an reported that occupation prison spokespeople noted that they are spread out among prisons and that there may be detainees not sent to prisons and still held by the military or the Shin Bet.
1. Afif Al-Jarah
2. Abd Al Rahman Ba’lousheh
3. Hassan Al-Astal
4. Mohammad Al-Agha
5. Ahmad Abu Lahia (the lawyer told him he will be released soon)
6. Ibrahim Abu Lahia
7. Mohammad Al-Qadra
8. Hatem Abu Rida
9. Mohammad Al-Najjar
10. Nidal Abu Rida
11. Mohammad Abu Darraj
12. Mohammad Abu Teer
13. Mohammad Abu Rida
14. Issa Al Najjar
15. Iyad Abu Rida
16. Mourad Amir Al Amour
17. Mohammad Salem Al Amour
18. Mohammad Abd Al Aziz Abu Ta’ameh
19. Moumen Al Najjar
20. Jihad Haddad
21. Mohammad Ramadan
22. Samir Al Najjar
23. Abdallah Al Najjar
24. Ibrahim Abu Shaweesh
25. Abd Al Qader Shalouf
26. Abd Al Naser Shalouf
