Mahmoud Abu Foul has returned to Gaza after spending over nine months detained in Israel. Upon his return, amidst a crowd welcoming released detainees, Abu Foul, who lost his eyesight during his imprisonment, couldn’t locate his family. The 28-year-old Palestinian, who previously lost his left leg in a 2015 Israeli airstrike, recounted enduring beatings and torture at an infamous Israeli military prison, resulting in his blindness.
Speaking from a tent in Nuseirat refugee camp where he now resides with his mother, Abu Foul expressed his desire to regain even partial eyesight. He was arrested by the Israel Defence Forces on Dec. 27, 2024, at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza while undergoing treatment for his amputated leg sustained a decade earlier in an Israeli airstrike on Jabalia.
Following his release on Oct. 13, as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Abu Foul was among the 1,700 Palestinian detainees freed by Israel, who were captured from Gaza during the conflict and detained without charges. While hundreds of others were released in the West Bank, 154 individuals were deported to Egypt. Upon his return, Abu Foul expressed a bittersweet feeling of being back in his homeland without the ability to see.
His mother, Umm Ahed Abu Foul, discovered him at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis several hours after the detainees’ return. She described the shock of seeing her son blind and reminisced about his past vitality, indicating her ongoing emotional distress.
Recounting his ordeal, Abu Foul mentioned being falsely accused of terrorism and enduring regular assaults by guards at Sde Teiman in southern Israel. He highlighted the severe beatings and psychological torment faced by detainees, including forced self-degradation and physical abuse. Abu Foul also detailed the lack of medical attention for his deteriorating eyesight following a head injury sustained in prison.
The Israeli military has denied allegations of systemic abuse, emphasizing adherence to legal standards. However, reports from organizations like B’Tselem have documented systematic mistreatment and torture of Palestinian prisoners by Israel. The UN has urged Israel to cease the mistreatment of detainees, calling attention to numerous fatalities in Israeli custody.
Despite the challenges he faces, Abu Foul remains hopeful for the opportunity to seek medical assistance abroad to potentially regain his vision.
