Gaza Herald – The Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies said Israeli occupation authorities continue to subject Palestinian detainees to torture and medical neglect, reporting the deaths of four prisoners in Israeli custody during the first half of 2026.
In a statement released Tuesday, the center said the total number of Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli detention has risen to 327, including 90 detainees whose identities have been confirmed since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, through the end of June 2026.
According to the center, 52 of those prisoners were from the Gaza Strip, with most reportedly dying as a result of torture. The victims include several doctors and medical workers.
Among those who died this year was Hamza Abdullah Adwan, 67, from Gaza, who died after being kidnapped ten months in Israeli detention following his detention in northern Gaza. The center said Israeli occupation authorities withheld news of his death for four months, stating that deteriorating health conditions and denial of medical care despite multiple chronic illnesses contributed to his death.
The second detainee identified was Hatem Ismail Rayan, 59, a Gaza ambulance officer who was kidnapped in December 2024 during an Israeli storm on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. According to the center, Rayan was detained alongside his injured son while carrying out humanitarian duties and was subjected to torture, harsh detention conditions, and medical neglect despite previously suffering a stroke.
The statement also identified Marwan Fathi Harzallah, 54, a Palestinian journalist from Nablus, who was kidnapped in January 2026 on charges of incitement. Harzallah, who worked for the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, had previously lost one of his legs after being shot by Israeli occupation forces in 1995.
The fourth detainee was Imad Rajeh Sarhan, from Haifa inside occupied 48-Palestine, who was announced died after being detained for 25 years in Israeli detentions. The center said his health had significantly deteriorated in recent months while he was denied necessary medical treatment.
The organization argued that the actual number of Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli detention is higher than officially acknowledged. It cited Israeli occupation rights organizations that estimate at least 115 Palestinian detainees have died in custody since October 2023, while Israeli occupation authorities have publicly confirmed only 90 deaths.
The center further accused Israeli authorities of continuing to withhold information regarding the identities and whereabouts of several deceased prisoners, particularly detainees from Gaza, as well as concealing the locations of hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
It warned that deaths inside Israeli prisons are likely to increase as long as, it said, policies of torture, abuse, starvation, and deliberate medical neglect continue. According to the center, approximately 9,500 Palestinian detainees are currently being held in Israeli jails under conditions that is harsh and in violation of international human rights standards.
