Director of Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza released by Israel denounced torture in prison

Published at: 18/10/2025 06:41 PM

Palestinian doctor Ahmed Muhanna, director of Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, denounced the torture and abuse committed by the Israeli occupying forces during his detention of one year and 10 months.

In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, he said that he was the victim of beatings, insults and deprivation of communication with his family.

Muhanna explained that Israeli forces deliberately attacked doctors and health personnel in detention centers, where inhumane conditions led to the death of several prisoners.

“The occupation deliberately handcuffed detainees for long hours in open centers with metal mesh, under harsh weather conditions,” he said.

The doctor indicated that he did not know the reason for his arrest, and the Israeli authorities charged him with false charges without allowing him to defend himself or to contact lawyers. His only “crime” was to run a hospital that primarily serves women and children, which belies Israel's justification for persecuting Palestinian medical personnel.

During his captivity, Muhanna reported that he and a detained nurse created a small makeshift medical unit inside the prison to assist sick and injured detainees.

“We treated wounds with the most rudimentary means possible, because there was no official medical care,” he said.

The Muhanna case adds to the multiple testimonies of former Palestinian prisoners about torture, forced disappearances and arbitrary arrests in Israeli jails, including those of doctors, journalists and humanitarian workers.

Israel systematically violates the Geneva Convention by attacking health workers protected by international law.

Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against Gaza on October 7, 2023, more than 67,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and dozens of hospitals have been left out of service due to the siege and bombings.

Al-Awda Hospital, run by Muhanna before his arrest, was one of the hardest hit during the last two years of aggression.

Mazo News Team