RAMALLAH — Israeli authorities have released senior Hamas figure and co-founder Hassan Yousef after more than two years in detention, according to his family.
Yousef, one of the most prominent leaders of Hamas in the occupied West Bank, was released on Thursday after being held by Israel since October 2023, when Israeli forces launched a widespread crackdown on Hamas members following the group’s attack on southern Israel.
His son confirmed the release, stating that Yousef had been freed without formal charges being brought against him during his most recent detention. Reports indicated that he was taken to the hospital in the West Bank shortly after his release.
Yousef, 71, is regarded as one of Hamas’ founding members and has spent years in and out of Israeli prisons. Israeli authorities have previously accused him of involvement in Hamas activities, while supporters describe him as a political and religious leader.
Over the years, he has been arrested multiple times by Israel, often under administrative detention orders that allow suspects to be held without trial for renewable periods.
The release comes amid continuing tensions between Israel and Hamas as the war in Gaza and related security operations in the West Bank continue.
Neither Israeli authorities nor Hamas immediately issued detailed statements regarding the circumstances surrounding Yousef’s release. Hamas remains designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union and several other countries.
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