A newly freed abductee from besieged Gaza — displaying signs of psychological distress after spending one month in Israeli torture cells — has described his experience in Israeli custody as a “nightmare”, TRT World reports.

Badr Dahlan, 30, told Anadolu Agency that he endured “harsh conditions” inside the dungeons where he faced “violations and acts of torture” before his release on Thursday. He said he was abducted “about a month ago in Khan Younis” in southern Gaza and recounted being beaten in Israeli torture centres during his incarceration.

“They [Israeli army] beat my hands and legs,” Dahlan said. “They were going to cut off my leg.” He said he did not know the whereabouts of his family and heard from others that Khan Younis was destroyed in the Israeli invasion.

After being transferred to the Shuhada al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah in central Gaza to be treated after his release, Dahlan said he “feels like he is going to die.”

Dahlan appeared in a catastrophic psychological state with his eyes bugged and unfocused, and his speech irregular, often stuttering, indicating severe psychological disturbance as a result of Israeli torture.

His words were also not aligning together as he struggled to form a coherent sentence.