Torture in Israeli prisons spiked dramatically during the Gaza war, according to Nasser Abu Srour, a renowned Palestinian author released after 32 years behind bars.
In his account of life under Israeli captivity, Abu Srour described an environment where guards adopted a "warrior mentality" and carried out brutal beatings. The prison regime became increasingly oppressive with the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, with prisoners subjected to intensified physical abuse in the days leading up to their scheduled release.
UN reports list 75 Palestinian deaths under Israeli custody between October 7th 2023 and August 31st 2025, a stark contrast to Israel's repeated denials of torture in its prisons. The prison service claimed that conditions remained "normal" during this period, despite UN reports detailing severe human rights abuses.
Abu Srour recounts the dramatic change he experienced after his release from prison. He was moved from brutal conditions to a luxury hotel in Egypt, where he encountered a reality foreign to him, including meeting family members for the first time in decades and experiencing basic luxuries such as showers and room service.
However, Abu Srour soon found himself caught between different worlds - those of tourists visiting the Hotel Hamas, a place his story has made infamous, and the Egyptian authorities overseeing his every move. After initially being allowed to explore Egypt with other freed prisoners, they were eventually ordered to leave the hotel for an unknown destination without their consent.
As Abu Srour weighs his options on where to settle long-term - considering factors like accessibility for family members and his ability to continue writing - he remains resolute in seeking a country that embodies questions and causes.
In his account of life under Israeli captivity, Abu Srour described an environment where guards adopted a "warrior mentality" and carried out brutal beatings. The prison regime became increasingly oppressive with the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, with prisoners subjected to intensified physical abuse in the days leading up to their scheduled release.
UN reports list 75 Palestinian deaths under Israeli custody between October 7th 2023 and August 31st 2025, a stark contrast to Israel's repeated denials of torture in its prisons. The prison service claimed that conditions remained "normal" during this period, despite UN reports detailing severe human rights abuses.
Abu Srour recounts the dramatic change he experienced after his release from prison. He was moved from brutal conditions to a luxury hotel in Egypt, where he encountered a reality foreign to him, including meeting family members for the first time in decades and experiencing basic luxuries such as showers and room service.
However, Abu Srour soon found himself caught between different worlds - those of tourists visiting the Hotel Hamas, a place his story has made infamous, and the Egyptian authorities overseeing his every move. After initially being allowed to explore Egypt with other freed prisoners, they were eventually ordered to leave the hotel for an unknown destination without their consent.
As Abu Srour weighs his options on where to settle long-term - considering factors like accessibility for family members and his ability to continue writing - he remains resolute in seeking a country that embodies questions and causes.
. Like, Israel's gotta stop denying torture happens in their prisons, it's getting old. Nasser Abu Srour's account is crazy, all those beatings and whatnot... I mean, 75 Palestinian deaths under Israeli custody? That's just sickening 
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. But at the same time, I get why he'd wanna explore this new world, meet his family members for the first time... it's all pretty emotional.
. One thing's for sure though, Nasser Abu Srour needs some serious support, and we need to keep calling out Israel for their human rights abuses 
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. i'm glad he got released & gettin to experience life outside those brutal walls, but now he's stuck in this limbo between two worlds 
. can u imagine bein trapped b/w tourist spot & Egyptian authorities all the time? 
i hope he finds a way 2 settle down with his fam & keep writin' abt these important issues 
I mean, from brutal beatings to being moved to a luxury hotel? That sounds like a pretty big shift in just a few months. And what about the Egyptian authorities monitoring his every move? It's all a bit too convenient for me. 
I'd need more concrete evidence before accepting that everything is okay on Israel's watch. 
The reports of torture and abuse are just shocking. 75 Palestinian deaths under custody? That's insane! 
And the fact that Israel's denying it all? It's like they're trying to cover their tracks. 
And now he's caught between two worlds? It's like, he wants to settle down, but he can't because the world is still watching him.