Acclaimed Palestinian Poet Mosab Abu Toha Detained and Released by Israeli Military

Abu Toha, who was attempting to evacuate with his family, was reportedly interrogated and beaten before being released, sparking international concern.

Mosab Abu Toha, an acclaimed Palestinian poet and 2023 poetry finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, was detained by the Israeli military near the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza as he and his family were attempting to evacuate.
Abu Toha was reportedly interrogated and beaten before being released and is now receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained during his interrogation.
Abu Toha's detention has drawn international attention, with PEN America expressing concern and the New Yorker, where Abu Toha has previously published, calling for his safe return.
Abu Toha's family was on a State Department evacuation list and was making its way to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt when he was taken.
Abu Toha's detention is part of a larger pattern, with reports of other Palestinian men being detained by Israeli forces during the evacuation of northern Gaza.