Palestinian man criticises Israeli prison as 30 more freed

Reuters A Palestinian mother cries as she hugs her returned sonReuters
A mother cries as she hugs her returned son in Ramallah, in the West Bank

A Palestinian man has described his time inside an Israeli prison as "not normal", after 30 more prisoners were released under the truce with Hamas.

Younis Hawamdeh told Reuters news agency the unnamed facility had been a "tragedy" but did not elaborate.

Israel has said all its prisoners are detained according to the law.

Its prison service said on Thursday that it had freed more Palestinians, hours after Hamas let eight more hostages go.

The releases brought the totals freed to 105 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners.

A Red Cross bus carrying the 30 Palestinians arrived in Ramallah, in the West Bank, late on Thursday, as has been customary for each of the seven exchanges.

It was there that Reuters spoke to a handful of newly freed prisoners. One, Ali Askara, said detainees had been "tortured ... psychologically, physically, everything".

"They beat us, there were people with bleeding eyes," he was quoted as saying.

Another man, Abdallah Al Bao, said he hoped the remaining prisoners would be released soon.

A full list of those freed is yet to be shared by Israeli prison authorities, who have spoken to the BBC's Lucy Williamson about abuse claims made by other freed Palestinians.

Images from Thursday showed emotional reunions between Palestinians and their friends and family.

In one, a mother cries as she hugs her returned son, while the crowd around them applaud.

Another shows people, who have climbed on top of the bus, waving Hamas flags.

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