Hamas Co-Founder Hassan Yousef Released After 2+ Years in Israeli Administrative Detention
Israeli authorities released Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of Hamas, on June 11, 2026, after holding him without trial for over two years since his October 2023 arrest. Yousef, 71, was detained as part of a wave of arrests following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. His release highlights the controversial use of administrative detention by Israel against Palestinians, a practice that has expanded during the Gaza war.
Hassan Yousef, a 71-year-old co-founder of Hamas in the West Bank, was released by Israeli authorities on Thursday after more than two years in administrative detention without charge. He was arrested on October 19, 2023, shortly after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, as part of a broader crackdown on Hamas operatives in the West Bank. Yousef was taken to a hospital in Ramallah following his release, where he was received by family members including his son Owais. The release underscores Israel's expanded use of administrative detention—a system allowing indefinite renewable six-month detention periods without trial—which Israel justifies as necessary for security and evidence-gathering but which human rights critics argue is systematically abused. Yousef has been arrested multiple times previously, most recently in 2020 when he spent 16 months in administrative detention. Notably, his eldest son Mosab Hassan Yousef worked as an Israeli Shin Bet informant for a decade and later wrote the memoir "Son of Hamas."
How coverage differed
Al Jazeera's framing emphasizes the detention as unjustified ("jailed without trial"), while Times of Israel describes the system more neutrally as "controversial" and includes Israel's stated rationale alongside criticism. NDTV presents a balanced account citing both perspectives.
What different sources said
- Times of IsraelCenter
Hamas co-founder in West Bank released without charge after 2.5 years in Israeli jail
- NDTVCenter
Hamas Co-Founder's Son Says Father Released By Israel After 2 Year Detention
- Al JazeeraLeft
Israel releases Hamas co-founder after two years in detention
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