Israeli forces release Palestinian 'doctor of the poor ' with visible signs of abuse

Israeli forces released Palestinian doctor Mazen al-Rantisi, 71, from Ofer prison on Sunday after nearly four months in detention, with visible signs of physical abuse on his body. In a photo circulated on social media after his release, the physician appeared gaunt, with a prominent red wound on his forehead. Popularly described as the “doctor of the poor” for waiving fees, supplying medicines and operating a clinic that became a refuge for low-income Palestinians, al-Rantisi was detained in a pre-dawn raid on his home in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 21 June. Prosecutors later indicted him for serving as chairman of the board of the Union of Health Work Committees, a Palestinian non-profit that provides medical care to thousands of Palestinians each year. Read more: Israeli forces release Palestinian 'doctor of the poor ' with visible signs of abuse Rantisi’s detention prompted widespread condemnation (Screengrab/X)