LONDON: Hamas issued a statement attacking Al Arabiya TV on Friday for exposing the mistreatment of Mansour Al-Shahateet, a prisoner who was released from an Israeli jail after a 17-year sentence.
Prisoners loyal to Hamas were accused of physically beating Al-Shahateet due to an organizational dispute with Yahya Al-Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, who was also serving a prison sentence.
Al-Shahateet, originally from Dura, southwest of Hebron, was released with serious psychological injuries after being kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time. Hamas prisoners who were confined with Al-Shahateet reportedly refused to stay in detention with him after he was severely beaten, and requested that he be transferred to solitary confinement.
Al-Shahateet’s health was neglected and his mental state deteriorated rapidly. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas requested that the Ministry of Health provide him with the necessary medical treatment.
