Israel released Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a senior Hamas figure in Judea and Samaria, on Thursday, Palestinian Arab media reported. Yousef was held in administrative detention since the October 7 massacre and the outbreak of the ensuing war, in October 2023.
Footage published after his release shows Yousef lying in a hospital bed, receiving visitors who came to bless and support him. According to reports, he was transferred for medical treatment following his release.
Reports indicate that Yousef was arrested at his home in Beitunia, west of Ramallah, in the early days of the war. After his arrest, he was placed in administrative detention, repeatedly extended without indictment or trial.
Yousef is considered one of the most prominent Hamas figures in Judea and Samaria. Palestinian Arab reports described him as active for years in the political and public sphere, calling for national unity and the continuation of the struggle against Israel.
Over the years, Yousef has served cumulative prison and detention terms of more than 20 years in Israeli jails due to repeated arrests and administrative detention.
Hassan Yousef is also known as the father of Mosab Hassan Yousef, nicknamed “the Green Prince," who left Hamas and became one of its prominent critics.