A year after release from Israeli prison, Gaza nurse still waiting to feel free

"Gaza is a huge prison ... I went from a small hell to a much bigger one." A year after his release, Gaza nurse Wissam Hassan al-Sakani described his feelings in those words.

Al-Sakani is a nurse at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. On 27 December 2024, he was detained during an Israeli raid on the hospital. After being held for nearly 11 months without charge, he was released under a ceasefire deal. But for the 40-year-old nurse, freedom has brought a new set of fears, hardships and grief.

That day, as tanks surrounded the area, medical workers were marched through the rubble of their neighbourhood. Among those detained was al-Sakani, who had spent years caring for the wounded.

The Israeli military described the hospital as a "Hamas terrorist center." A spokesperson for Gaza's Hamas-run Ministry of Health categorically denied the allegations.

For al-Sakani, the raid marked the beginning of nearly 11 months in Israeli custody. He said the condition would eat away at you. "Your body would feel like it was being devoured. You'd sit there thinking you were dying," he said.

Held without charge, al-Sakani said he was subjected to harsh conditions, including sleep deprivation, inadequate medical care and the withholding of medication.

"It was a difficult and bitter experience. I never imagined something like this would happen," he said.

Al-Sakani said he repeatedly questioned why he was being detained. According to him, authorities accused him of being affiliated with Hamas because he worked for the hospital.

ABC News asked the Israeli military about the circumstances of the nurse's arrest. The IDF declined to comment.

The Israel Prison Service rejected allegations of mistreatment, telling ABC News that it operates in accordance with the law and under judicial and official oversight.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it has been unable to visit Palestinian detainees held in Israeli detention facilities since October 2023.

ICRC spokesperson Pat Griffiths told ABC News, "There are limits to what we know," adding that only Israeli authorities can grant the organisation humanitarian access.

Al-Sakani was eventually freed as part of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States in October 2025, which saw Hamas release the remaining living hostages and Israel release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

But his release has not brought an end to the hardship. His daily routine is shaped by the struggle to access basic necessities. He says he earns just 1,000 Israeli shekels.

A year after his release, al-Sakani is still looking for relief. In his words, he has come out of the small hell of prison into the much bigger hell of Gaza.