Three Gazans die shortly after being released from Israeli custody

The handcuffed bodies of three Palestinians freed from Israeli custody were found near Gaza’s border with Israel, and an uncle of one of them and a witness said they were attacked by Israeli forces shortly after their release.

Abdel Hadi Ghabayen, the uncle of one of those arrested, Kamel Ghabayen, said he set out at 5am on Sunday in search of his nephew after he was arrested by Israeli forces on Saturday.

“I found him left on the ground along with the other two witnesses. They were without clothes and their hands had plastic cuffs from the Israeli army,” said Gabbayen.

The bodies were found near the Israeli border fence on Sunday near the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in southern Gaza, he said.

Reuters could not independently confirm what happened to the three men or why they were arrested. In response to Reuters requests for comment, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: “From a review conducted, the IDF is not aware of an incident in which the suspects were killed by Israeli forces fire.”

Abdel Hadi Ghabayen said one of the men lost a leg and his body was “dismembered” after what he said was an attack by Israeli forces shortly after they were freed.

Abdel Hadi Ghabayen said that when he tried to retrieve the man’s severed leg, the Israelis “started shooting at me, so I stopped.” He later took the bodies of the three in his truck to Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

The three — Kamel Ghabayen, Mohammed Awad Ramadan Abu Hejazi and Ramadan Awad Ramadan Aby Hejaz — were among several Palestinians arrested Saturday and held for questioning, according to one of the men, Mahmoud Abu Taha.

Abu Taha said they came under fire shortly after their release.

“We reached Karkar Street (in Gaza). After 10 minutes of being there, we found a bomb thrown at the people with me. Thank God, I was at the front. The bomb hit 6 or 7 people who were detained with us. Thank you God I am alive,” he said.

The war escalated on October 7 when militants led by Hamas, which controls Gaza, attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. More than 38,000 Palestinians have since been killed in the Israeli military offensive, according to Gaza health officials.