A recently released Palestinian medical worker has provided a harrowing account of her alleged abduction and subsequent detention by Israeli authorities, revealing claims of systematic pressure tactics and mistreatment targeting healthcare professionals and their families.
Tasneem al-Hams, a 22-year-old nurse from Gaza, regained her freedom in Khan Younis on Thursday following nearly two months in Israeli custody. According to her testimony to local media, her ordeal began when members of the Israel-backed Popular Forces militia—commonly known as the Abu Shabab gang—seized her from a medical facility in southern Gaza where she worked.
“I was abducted by Yasser Abu Shabab’s group, then they handed me over to the Israelis east of Khan Younis,” al-Hams stated, describing a transfer that allegedly placed her directly into military custody.
The young nurse’s detention appears connected to her father’s earlier capture. Dr. Marwan al-Hams, who oversees field medical operations throughout Gaza, was reportedly taken by undercover Israeli special forces three months prior to his daughter’s abduction. During her imprisonment, Tasneem alleges she was deliberately used as leverage against her father during interrogation sessions, noting they had only minimal contact despite being held at the same Ashkelon prison facility.
Her account details transfers between multiple detention centers, including Damon Prison, where she reportedly witnessed deteriorating conditions for female detainees. She described practices including forced removal of religious garments, chemical agent exposure, nutritional deprivation, and physical violence resulting in serious injuries among prisoners.
These allegations emerge amid broader concerns regarding Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees. According to Palestinian health officials, over 1,500 medical workers have been killed and 360 detained since the conflict’s escalation. Rights organizations have documented systematic abuses in detention facilities, with healthcare professionals reportedly facing particularly severe treatment.
The Israeli military has alleged Dr. al-Hams maintains connections to Hamas and possesses knowledge regarding a deceased soldier’s remains—claims that remain unverified by independent sources. The release of Tasneem al-Hams coincides with recent ceasefire negotiations and prisoner exchanges, though she continues advocating for her father’s freedom and that of approximately 50 female detainees she encountered during her imprisonment.