The Forgotten Captives: Israel Still Imprisoning 9,000 Palestinians Even After Hostage Deal

The transcript details a concerning situation regarding humanitarian aid and prisoner releases in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It highlights that essential obligations to civilians, such as humanitarian aid and avoiding unlawful attacks, are being used as bargaining chips in political negotiations. The Israeli military reportedly halted aid deliveries to Gaza but resumed them under U.S. pressure, underscoring the potential for external influence to ensure civilian protections. The conversation also delves into the condition of Palestinian prisoners, revealing that a significant number are held without trial under administrative detention or the unlawful combatants law, facing harsh conditions and abuse, including reduced food rations, denial of visits, and allegations of rape, starvation, and torture

• Israel resumed enforcement of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire after temporarily halting aid deliveries to Gaza.
• Approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, were released, but around 9,000 remain in detention.
• A large majority of detained Palestinians are held without trial under administrative detention or the unlawful combatants law, often based on secret evidence.
• Conditions for Palestinian prisoners have worsened, with reduced food, suspended family/ICRC visits, and credible reports of rape, starvation, and torture.
• The personal toll of the conflict is evident in the anguish of those with families in Gaza, facing destruction and scarc

Ceasefire Deal and Humanitarian Aid [00:00]

• Israel carried out deadly attacks in Gaza over the weekend, temporarily halting aid deliveries.
• Israel has stated it will resume enforcement of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
• U.S. envoy Steve Witoff and Jared Kushner are in Israel, with JD Vance also expected to arrive.
• The speaker's main concern is that absolute obligations to civilians, such as humanitarian aid and avoiding unlawful attacks, are being used as bargaining chips in political negotiations.
• Obligations to civilians cannot be used as leverage, as learned over the past two years.
• The Israeli military stopped humanitarian aid to Gaza in response to alleged ceasefire violations, despite promises to allow at least 600 trucks daily to a starving population.
• The U.S. is urged to ensure that obligations to civilians continue to be fulfilled, regardless of the ceasefire deal's specifics, and that the Israeli government does not starve children in Gaza.
• The Israeli government reportedly agreed to resume humanitarian aid in response to U.S. pressure, demonstrating the U.S.'s ability to insist on civilian protections when it desires.

"things that are absolute obligations to civilians like for example humanitarian aid like for example avoiding unlawful attacks on families and cars are being used as bargaining chips in political negotiations over the ceasefire."

Palestinian Prisoners and Detention Conditions [01:25]

• While Israeli hostages' emotional reunions are highlighted, the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners is less publicized, with their stories unknown.
• The released Palestinians include not only men but also women and children.
• Even after releasing almost 2,000 people, Israel is still holding about 9,000 Palestinians.
• Approximately 1,200 of these detainees have been convicted of crimes; a few thousand are in pre-trial detention.
• The majority are held without trial under administrative detention (for the West Bank) or the unlawful combatants law (for those from Gaza).
• In these cases, there is no allegation of a committed crime; detainees are held based on a charge of "dangerousness" backed by secret evidence that they and their lawyers cannot see or challenge.
• This system is described as arbitrary, with the Israeli military continuing to round up more Palestinians from the West Bank daily, refilling detention cells.
• Conditions for Palestinian prisoners, already poor, have worsened over the last two years at the request of Israel's police minister.
• Food rations have been reduced, and family visits, as well as visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), have been unlawfully suspended.
• The ICRC is meant to ensure humane treatment, but its access has been denied.
• There are persistent, credible, and systematic reports of rape, starvation, and torture.
• Detainees are emerging from prisons malnourished and suffering from scabies, with dozens having died in detention.
• There has been no accountability or investigations into these abuses, which needs to change for the 9,000 still held.
• Out of the 1,700 released to Gaza, almost none had been convicted of crimes.
• This current prison population of Palestinians in Israeli jails is described as the largest in decades.
• The process completely lacks transparency or due process.
• The Israeli government's refusal to allow neutral humanitarian actors like the ICRC to visit and ensure humane conditions is deeply worrying.
• The fact that some released individuals were in need of hospitalization indicates inhumane conditions.

"The vast majority of people being held are being held without trial either in what's called administrative detention for the West Bank or the unlawful combatants law for folks from Gaza."

Personal Impact of the Conflict [06:09]

• The speaker, Sari Bashi, wrote a piece in the New York Times about her marriage, which includes an emergency backpack.
• Her husband is from Gaza but lives in Ramla.
• The situation has been "hell" for her husband.
• His entire family is in Gaza, and their homes have been destroyed; they have lost weight.
• His sister-in-law's son was killed two and a half weeks before the ceasefire went into effect, making the timing of the ceasefire unbearable for her.
• There is no adequate way to describe the anguish felt by her husband and many others living next to what is described as a genocide.
• They live with the constant fear that the people they care about most could be killed at any moment.
• While they sit down to family dinners and eat, his siblings do not have enough food.
• There is a prayer for this suffering to end and for the United States to finally intervene and require the Israeli government to fulfill its obligations to civilians in Gaza, particularly by allowing humanitarian aid.

"There is no way of describing the anguish that he and so many others have felt living next to a genocide."