Ramallah: Israeli authorities have released Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of Hamas and one of the group's most influential political figures in the occupied West Bank, following nearly two years in administrative detention. Yousef’s son, Owais Yousef, confirmed to AFP that his father was freed near Hebron and subsequently transferred to a hospital in Ramallah for medical attention. Images and video footage circulating after his release showed the 71-year-old with a bandaged hand and his arm in a sling, though the exact cause of his injuries remains unclear.
Yousef was arrested at his home near Ramallah on October 19, 2023, as part of a sweeping crackdown on Hamas members in the West Bank immediately following the October 7 attacks and the subsequent outbreak of the Gaza war. According to Palestinian sources, this latest release concludes Yousef’s 16th period of custody under Israeli authorities, bringing his total time spent in Israeli prisons over his decades-long political career to more than 25 years.
Yousef's history with the movement dates back to the late 1980s, when he helped establish Hamas alongside Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and other prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 1992, he was among hundreds of Palestinian activists deported by Israel to Marj al-Zohour in southern Lebanon, a controversial move that was reversed a year later due to intense international pressure. He later won a seat as a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006 and has maintained a prominent leadership profile in the West Bank ever since.
His high-profile release has thrust Israel's controversial policy of administrative detention back into the international spotlight. The practice allows authorities to hold individuals for prolonged periods without formal charges or a trial. The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem notes that administrative detention is executed based on classified security assessments and secret evidence that is legally withheld from both the detainees and their legal counsel. Data from the Palestinian Prisoners Club indicates a sharp rise in the use of this policy since the current conflict escalated, estimating that approximately 9,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli custody, with administrative detainees accounting for a rapidly growing portion of that population.