Palestinian physician Mazen al-Rantisi has been released from Israel’s notorious Ofer prison after nearly four months in detention, with photographs circulated following his release showing him gaunt and bearing a prominent red wound on his forehead.

The 72-year-old, widely known as the “doctor of the poor” for providing affordable medical care to disadvantaged Palestinians, was released from the facility, widely known to be playing host to rampant torture and physical abuse of Palestinians, on Sunday.

He had been detained during a pre-dawn raid on his home in Ramallah’s al-Tira neighborhood in the occupied West Bank on June 21.

Prosecutors subsequently indicted him for serving as chairman of the board of the Union of Health Work Committees, a Palestinian non-profit organization that provides medical care to thousands of Palestinians annually.

For decades, al-Rantisi has treated low-income patients, often waiving medical fees, supplying medicines, and providing treatment free of charge. His clinic in Ramallah became a refuge for Palestinians seeking affordable healthcare and personal support.

Outrage grows after Israel detains Palestinian ‘doctor of the poor’

Israeli occupying forces detained Palestinian physician Dr. Mazen al-Rantisi during a pre-dawn raid on his home in Ramallah on Sunday.

Former patients have recalled how he would offer medical consultations by telephone and messaging applications outside clinic hours, frequently without charge.

His detention prompted condemnation across the West Bank, with family members, colleagues, and patients demanding information about his whereabouts and condition, as well as his release.

Activists also launched online solidarity campaigns under the hashtag “Freedom for Dr. Mazen Al-Rantisi.”

At the time of his abduction, Israeli authorities had not disclosed the reasons for his detention or revealed where he was being held.

According to Palestinian human rights organizations, Israeli forces have abducted hundreds of doctors and healthcare workers since 2023, most of them from the Gaza Strip, which came under an Israeli war of genocide that year.

A picture obtained via social media shows Palestinian physician Mazen al-Rantisi following his release in the occupied West Bank on October 25, 2026.