At Least 98 Palestinians Have Died in Israeli Detention Since October 2023, Group Says

According to Rokna, citing The Gardian, PHRI compiled its report by tracking deaths resulting from physical abuse, medical neglect, and malnutrition, using freedom of information requests, forensic records, and interviews with lawyers, activists, family members, and witnesses.

The Israeli authorities provided comprehensive data only for the first eight months of the war, during which official figures reveal an unprecedented rate of fatalities among Palestinian detainees—on average, one death every four days.

The military last updated detention death figures for May 2024, while the Israel Prison Service (IPS) issued its most recent figures in September 2024. PHRI researchers identified an additional 35 deaths after these dates and confirmed them with Israeli officials.

Although these numbers exceed previous estimates, PHRI director of the prisoners and detainees department, Naji Abbas, cautioned that the data likely underrepresents the full extent of Palestinian deaths.

“Even with evidence showing higher numbers than previously reported, this is not the complete picture,” Abbas said. “We are confident that other detainees have died in custody without our knowledge.”

Classified Israeli data suggests that most Palestinian detainees from Gaza who died in prison were civilians, according to parallel investigations by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call.

In May 2024, a military intelligence database monitoring over 47,000 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members in Gaza listed only 21 deaths in custody, while by that time at least 65 Palestinians from Gaza had died in detention.

The reported deaths include “security prisoners,” which encompasses civilians from Gaza held without charges or trial, as well as prisoners of conscience from the occupied West Bank. Three of the deceased were Palestinians holding Israeli citizenship or residency.

Physical abuse, torture, and other mistreatment of Palestinian detainees have become normalized within Israel’s prison system over the course of two years of war. Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has openly praised starvation rations and underground facilities where detainees never see sunlight.

Current and former detainees, along with military whistleblowers, have alleged widespread violations of international law. The institutionalized cruelty coincides with a dramatic rise in deaths across at least 12 civilian and military facilities. Prior to the war, Israeli detention facilities averaged two to three deaths annually.

“This is not a series of isolated incidents; it is systemic and ongoing,” Abbas said, emphasizing the near-total impunity for killing and abusing Palestinian prisoners.

Only one case of assault on detainees has gone to trial, resulting in a seven-month sentence for a soldier. Attempts to prosecute others for violent assaults, including sexual abuse, triggered protests from right-wing groups and the arrest of Israel’s top military lawyer. The accused are now seeking dismissal of charges.

“Despite this large number of deaths, no one has been arrested over two years,” Abbas said. “No charges have been filed for any of the killings. Every Palestinian in detention remains at risk, even those who are healthy and young.”

Some deaths have drawn public attention, including Adnan al-Bursh, 50, head of orthopedics at al-Shifa Hospital, who died after four months in Ofer prison. A fellow detainee testified that Bursh was brought to the yard by guards shortly before his death, visibly injured and stripped from the waist down. His body has not been returned to Gaza.

Other detainees who died remain unnamed. PHRI received only basic information from Israeli authorities, such as the site of death, but not the names of the prisoners. In 21 cases, mostly from Gaza, PHRI could not match the limited details provided to deaths documented by rights groups or media reports.

Families may also be unaware of the deaths, as Israel has made tracking detainees difficult. For seven months at the war’s outset, the military refused to provide basic information on thousands of Palestinians in custody, effectively implementing a policy of enforced disappearance.

Since May 2024, an email contact has been available for inquiries about Palestinian detainees from Gaza, though this has only partially improved access. PHRI cited ongoing failures and lack of transparency. Lawyers are frequently told no record exists of their client’s detention, even when it is documented. Inquiries about roughly 400 individuals received this response over a six-month period last year, according to HaMoked, a rights organization.

One high-profile detainee is Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, detained during a December 2024 raid. The Israeli military initially denied holding him for a week, despite video evidence showing soldiers escorting him into a vehicle.

PHRI noted that such media attention, which led to acknowledgment of his detention, is rare, and Israel’s refusal to provide timely and clear information about prisoners “creates serious grounds for fearing that many are no longer alive.”

“These grave violations of international law make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to fully assess Israel’s policy regarding detained Palestinians or trace the fate of those taken into custody,” the report stated.

The Alfaqawi family had to petition Israel’s Supreme Court to learn that Mounir Alfaqawi, 41, and his son Yassin, 18, had died in custody. Israeli forces interrogated both men in front of their relatives in March 2024 before taking them away. HaMoked’s inquiries were repeatedly met with claims that no records of their detention existed. An October appeal confirmed that the men were deceased and that military police were investigating.

Another former detainee testified that he was forced to serve as a human shield alongside the father and son. Other families may still hope for the return of loved ones who have died in custody.

Under a mid-October ceasefire, Israel released 250 convicted Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza held indefinitely without charge or trial. However, at least 1,000 remain detained under similar conditions.

The Israeli military stated it operates “in accordance with Israeli and international law” and is aware of detainee deaths, including those with preexisting medical conditions or injuries “resulting from hostilities.” Investigations are conducted by military police for each death. The IPS said it follows legal procedures, reviews each death, and refers cases to relevant authorities as required.

“The incidents described do not reflect the conduct or procedures of the Israel Prison Service, and we are not aware of the events as presented,” the IPS said.