Israel releases another Palestinian prisoner in visibly frail state, unable to recognise family

Israel has released another Palestinian prisoner after months of detention in an emaciated looking state and bearing signs of torture.

Bodybuilder Moazaz Abayat was released on Tuesday after nine months in Israeli detention, looking visibly thinner and suffering from memory loss.

Video posted online shows Abayat limping and struggling to walk during his release at the Dhahiriya crossing, while also being assisted.

Moazaz's brother, Muadh, told The New Arab's Arabic-language service that his sibling was unable to recognise his family members.

"My father stood in front of him, but Moaz asked him who he was. He did the same to my mother, and me and my brothers, and even his children. He did not know any of us, and he kept repeating the name of the extremist Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir," Muadh said.

Abayat has emerged from his ordeal saying — among other things — that Ben-Gvir, Israel's hardline national security minister, danced on his body during one of his beatings, thinking that Moazaz was dead.

He has also alleged that Israeli prison authorities put him in a mortuary after a severe beating, believing him to have been dead.

Muadh says his brother was arrested in October, when soldiers from Israel's Yamam Unit stormed his home and began severely beating him. Moazaz was then taken to the Etzion detention centre. He was held under administrative order, without charge or trial.

Moazaz's feet were broken while he was in detention, where he was unable to contact family or speak receive visits from lawyers, according to Muadh.

A medical inspection in Moazaz's hometown of Bethlehem revealed that he was suffering from a hernia which required surgery.

The allegations made by the former detainee echo those of many Palestinian prisoners recently released by Israel, who have given testimonies of torture, withholding of food and sexual assault.

Israel currently holds over 9,700 Palestinian prisoners, 3,380 of which are held under the so-called administrative order, and 250 of which are children.