Middle East Eye
centerREPORTShe was told her missing fiance was killed in Gaza. A year later, he returned alive

Full BriefGenerated 31d ago
What Happened
Hamada al-Banna, a 23-year-old Palestinian man from northern Gaza, was released from Israeli detention after being forcibly disappeared for approximately one year. On 9 August 2025, al-Banna and his brother went to the Zikim area in northern Gaza to collect flour from humanitarian aid trucks; his brother was killed. Al-Banna was wounded by an Israeli shell, leaving him unconscious with leg and chest injuries. He spent six months in a coma at Israel's Soroka Hospital with memory loss. Once conscious, he threw an IV bag at a soldier who insulted his mother, and the soldier violently assaulted him. He was then transferred to Sde Teiman prison, where he endured four months of solitary confinement and torture, including beatings, pepper spraying, genital attacks, stun grenades, and six days in a 'disco room' — a space of constant loud noise and music causing sleep deprivation and psychological distress. His family was informed by Israeli authorities that he had been killed under torture. His fiancée, Reem Jadallah, refused to believe it, sold her gold to hire a lawyer through the Israeli legal aid organisation HaMoked, and eventually obtained confirmation of his detention. Al-Banna was released on Sunday and recounted his ordeal to Middle East Eye.
Key Actors
- ·Hamada al-Banna(Palestinian civilian from northern Gaza)Disappeared, detained without charge, and subjected to torture in Israeli custody for approximately one year before release.
- ·Israeli military (IDF)(Armed forces of the State of Israel)Shelled al-Banna near Zikim, secretly detained him at Soroka Hospital and Sde Teiman prison, and subjected him to torture, while withholding information from his family.
- ·Reem Jadallah(Fiancée of Hamada al-Banna)Refused to accept reports of al-Banna's death, sold her gold to fund legal representation, and persisted in locating him despite official denial of information.
- ·HaMoked(Israeli legal aid organisation)Provided limited confirmation of al-Banna's detention in an Israeli prison and facilitated contact with a lawyer, enabling his family to obtain further details.
Why It Matters
Al-Banna's case exemplifies the practice of enforced disappearance, secret detention, and torture of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces during the Gaza war, as documented by Palestinian and Israeli rights groups. The withholding of detainee information from families and international bodies like the ICRC violates international humanitarian law, fuels Palestinian grievances, and raises accountability concerns. The use of Israeli legal NGOs to bypass obstruction highlights structural barriers to due process.
Watch For
Potential statements from the UN or ICRC regarding access to Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody. Possible Israeli military or prison service response to al-Banna's torture allegations. Updates from the Palestinian Centre for the Missing and the Forcibly Disappeared on the fate of the approximately 8,000 Palestinians reported missing in Gaza, including roughly 2,900 children, many presumed dead under rubble or secretly detained.
Generated 31d ago · Based on full articleAuto-Compiled
This page aggregates and summarizes reporting from Middle East Eye. The Conflict Pulse does not author original reporting. Read the original source for full coverage.
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