Hassan Yousef, a 71-year-old co-founder of Hamas, was released by Israel near the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank on 11/6. His son, Owais Yousef, stated that his father was subsequently taken to a hospital in Ramallah city.

Images released by media show Yousef in a hospital bed, surrounded by visiting relatives. "I cannot sleep because I am in too much pain," he told an acquaintance by telephone before undergoing medical examination.

Israeli police have not yet commented on the release.

Hassan Yousef in a hospital bed at Ramallah city hospital on 11/6. *Photo: QudsN*

Yousef, a senior Hamas leader in the West Bank, was instrumental in founding the movement in the 1980s alongside Ahmad Yassine and other Palestinian members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

He had been held under administrative detention by Israel since 10/2023, shortly after Hamas launched its attack on Israel.

Since the conflict began, Israel has intensified its use of administrative detention against Palestinians. This mechanism allows authorities to detain individuals for renewable periods of six months without formal indictment. While Israel maintains this measure helps prevent attacks and facilitates evidence collection, human rights organizations argue it is being abused.

Yousef has been arrested multiple times by Israel over the years. His most recent release before this instance was in 7/2020, following 16 months of detention.

Hassan Yousef was a member of the now-dissolved Palestinian parliament. His eldest son, Mosab Hassan Yousef, controversially served as a spy for Israel against his father's movement for 10 years, leading to Yousef disowning him.