Gaza (Quds News Network)- Today, during the sixth batch of the prisoner exchange between Israel and the Gaza resistance, freed Palestinian detainees were subjected to a new level of humiliation.
In previous batches, Israeli prison authorities forced released detainees to wear plastic hand bracelets inscribed with the biblical Psalm, “I pursued my enemies and overtook them!” which served as a blatant threat meant to haunt them even after their release. That same phrase was also displayed on a large banner outside Ofir Prison in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian releases occur.
The humiliation escalated today as freed detainees were forced to wear shirts emblazoned with the Star of David alongside the Arabic declaration, “We do not forget, and we do not forgive.” This demeaning act has sparked fierce condemnation from Palestinians, who see it as a calculated attempt to strip them of dignity and impose a message of subjugation.
The forced branding of Palestinian detainees starkly echoes one of history’s darkest chapters. During the Holocaust, the Nazis compelled Jews to wear the yellow Star of David, known as the “Jewish Badge” or “Judenstern,” marking them for discrimination, persecution, and eventual extermination. This tool of dehumanization was designed to single out and marginalize an entire people.
The modern imposition of similar symbols and slogans on freed Palestinian detainees is not merely symbolic; it revives painful memories and reinforces an oppressive narrative, serving as a grim reminder that dehumanization is not confined to the past but persists today in Israel and among its officials.
Israeli media claim that the government was unaware of this behavior and did not condemn it. Instead, they assert that interim prison service chief Kobi Yaakobi, a former aide to the resigned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, continues to uphold the inhumane treatment of Palestinian detainees, even after Ben-Gvir’s resignation following Netanyahu’s acceptance of the ongoing exchange deal.
Freed Palestinian Detainees Burn Forced Israeli-Issued Uniforms with Star of David and Racist Slogans
Several Palestinian detainees burned the uniforms Israeli authorities forced them to wear before their release today. The clothes bore the Star of David and the phrase “We will not forgive, we will not forget” in Arabic.
Israel released the sixth batch of Palestinian detainees under the ceasefire and exchange agreement with the resistance in Gaza. However, prison authorities humiliated them by making them wear uniforms with Israeli symbols and slogans. In response, some freed prisoners immediately set fire to the clothes in a defiant act against their oppressor.
Israeli media confirmed the forced uniforms. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that similar tactics were used in previous releases, including bracelets marked with Israeli prison service logos. Meanwhile, Maariv called the move a “surprise” prepared for the detainees.
Photos showed detainees wearing the uniforms inside Ketziot Prison before release. The act sparked outrage among Palestinian factions.
Hamas condemned Israel’s treatment of detainees, calling it a racist humiliation and a violation of international law. The movement contrasted this with how the resistance treats Israeli prisoners with dignity, even providing them with gifts before release.
In a statement, Hamas celebrated the detainees’ freedom as a national achievement and reaffirmed its commitment to securing the release of all detainees. The movement also called on Israel to move forward with the next phase of the prisoner exchange without delay.
