Gaza Herald _The number of Palestinians dying in Israeli detention facilities has risen sharply amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, according to a report by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI). At least 94 Palestinian deaths have been documented since October 2023, with the organisation warning that the actual toll is likely much higher, particularly among detainees from Gaza.
The report highlights long-standing abuses in Israeli jails, where thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank are routinely subjected to torture, medical neglect, and inhumane conditions. PHRI expressed “grave concerns that the true number of deaths in Israeli custody is significantly underreported” and noted Israel has failed to hold perpetrators accountable.
Of the 94 deaths documented, 68 were from Gaza, while 26 were from the West Bank or held Israeli citizenship. Israeli military prisons were responsible for at least 52 of the deaths, with the remaining 42 occurring in facilities operated by the Israel Prison Service (IPS).
Amid the conflict, Israeli forces have detained thousands of Palestinians from across Gaza, effectively rendering them “disappeared,” according to PHRI. The Israeli authorities have ceased sharing detainee information with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and have blocked all access to detention sites, a move the organisation calls “a direct breach of both international and domestic law.”
Israel has often refused to acknowledge the detention or death of Palestinian prisoners, leaving families uninformed for prolonged periods. Some relatives have learned of their loved ones’ deaths only through Israeli media reports. PHRI highlighted the case of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, who was taken from the hospital in December. Israeli authorities initially claimed they had “no indication of the individual’s arrest or detention.” Dr. Abu Safia remains in Israeli custody, with his lawyer asserting that he has been subjected to torture and humiliation.
Deaths have been recorded in almost all major IPS facilities, including Ktzi’ot Prison, Megiddo, Nitzan, and Ofer, as well as military bases such as the notorious Sde Teiman. Physical violence—including bruising, broken ribs, internal organ damage, and intracranial haemorrhage—has been a leading cause of death, compounded by chronic medical neglect, denial of care, and severe malnutrition.
PHRI stressed that the conditions faced by Palestinians in Israeli incarceration facilities, combined with policies of enforced disappearance, systematic killing, and institutionalized cover-ups, demand urgent international attention. The NGO called for an independent investigation into the deaths of Palestinians in Israeli custody to ensure accountability and justice.
