Israel was unprepared for 10,000 Palestinian security prisoners during war, report finds

Israel's prison and military services were inadequately prepared for a significant surge in Palestinian security prisoners during the Gaza war, with numbers increasing by 92% from October 2023 to January 2025, according to a State Comptroller's report. Comptroller Matanyahu Englman noted that neither the Israel Prisons Service (IPS) nor the IDF had theoretical plans for arresting and imprisoning such large volumes of Gazans long-term.

This lack of preparedness resulted in the "freebie" release of senior Hamas officials mid-war, at a time when Israeli hostages were still being held in Gaza. The report specifically flags the release of Shifa Hospital director Muhammad Abu Salmiya on July 1, 2024, and 18 other senior Hamas officials as particularly problematic. Englman stated that releasing prisoners who posed a danger to Israel's security without real-time notification to the prime minister should be viewed with severity.

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The absence of the IDF and the IPS having prepared even any theoretical plans or estimates for how many Gazans they might need to arrest and imprison in the event of a longer war and how they would they would do so, led to improper "freebie" releases of senior Hamas officials mid-war at times when Israeli hostages were still being held in Gaza.

Shin Bet sources indicated that the political echelon and cabinet ignored the severe issue of overcrowded prisons and makeshift field-prison facilities for months. Without cabinet guidance, sufficient resources, or cell space, the IPS, IDF, and Shin Bet were forced to make numerous ad-hoc decisions, many of which were suboptimal. The establishment of the large makeshift IDF base, Sde Teiman field detention facility, faced accusations from the High Court of Justice regarding violations of detainees' rights.

One IDF prison guard was convicted of abusing a prisoner, and five more were indicted in the Sde Teiman case. Although their indictment was later withdrawn due to violations of fair trial rights, the report suggests that these harms to Palestinian detainee rights significantly damaged Israeli legitimacy.

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The fact that prisoners who presented danger to the security of Israel were released without notifying the prime minister in real time should be viewed with severity.