Palestinians dying at "alarming rate" in Israeli prisons since Oct 7, 2023, rights group says.
At least 94 Palestinians have reportedly died in Israeli custody between October 7, 2023, and August 2025, according to a scathing report published by Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI), an Israel-based human rights organization led by medical professionals. This grim statistic represents a dramatic and unprecedented surge in prisoner deaths within the Israeli detention system since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel. The report warns that its figures likely represent only a fraction of the actual total, as hundreds of other cases remain undisclosed by Israeli authorities.
PHRI’s extensive research into the deaths has uncovered "deeply concerning patterns of physical violence and medical negligence," which it identifies as the two primary and systemic factors contributing to the fatalities of most Palestinians held in Israeli detention. The organization’s findings paint a disturbing picture of a system under immense strain, where the basic rights and well-being of detainees are severely compromised.
"The alarming rate at which people are killed in Israeli custody reveals a system that has lost all moral and professional restraint," stated Naji Abbas, a director at PHRI, underscoring the severity of the situation and the urgent need for intervention. This statement reflects the organization’s profound concern over what it perceives as a breakdown of ethical and professional standards within the Israeli carceral system.
To compile its comprehensive report, PHRI employed a multi-faceted investigative approach. This included conducting in-depth interviews with former detainees who had firsthand experience of the conditions, as well as with prison medical staff. Furthermore, the organization meticulously examined reports prepared by independent doctors who were permitted to observe autopsies on behalf of the deceased prisoners’ families, providing crucial medical insights. Dozens of fatalities were also confirmed through persistent freedom of information requests for official Israeli government data, despite significant challenges in obtaining comprehensive transparency.
In response to the damning allegations put forth by the PHRI report, the Israeli prison service issued a statement asserting that all its facilities are operated in strict adherence to Israeli laws and under continuous proper oversight. The service maintained that it was not aware of the specific incidents detailed in the report and contended that the claims "do not reflect the conduct or procedures of the Israel Prison Service." It further insisted that inmates are provided with adequate access to medical care, maintain proper hygiene, and are housed in suitable living conditions. The Israeli military, addressing specific allegations, stated that prolonged handcuffing is implemented only in exceptional cases, justified by "significant security considerations," and that even then, detainees’ medical conditions are taken into account.
However, PHRI’s analysis of post-mortem examinations tells a different story. These examinations, often attended by independent doctors, revealed that some Palestinian detainees died after sustaining injuries consistent with severe physical abuse, including extensive bruising, multiple rib fractures, hemorrhages, and lacerations of intra-abdominal organs. These findings strongly suggest that detainees were subjected to beatings and other forms of violence.
Beyond physical abuse, the report meticulously documents instances of purported medical negligence. Among the most egregious examples cited by PHRI is a case of documented severe malnutrition, which tragically led to the death of a 17-year-old boy from starvation. Additionally, several cases of severe infections were noted, which the report claims were left untreated, leading to preventable complications and ultimately, death. This pattern points to a systemic failure in providing adequate and timely medical attention to prisoners in need.
Of the 94 Palestinians who died in Israeli detention facilities since October 2023, the report specifies that 68 were from the Gaza Strip, a region particularly affected by the ongoing conflict and subsequent mass detentions. The remaining 26 were from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with some also holding Israeli citizenship. This geographic breakdown highlights the widespread nature of the issue across Palestinian territories.
The significance of these figures is starkly underscored by a comparison with pre-war statistics. PHRI points out that fewer than 30 Palestinians died in Israeli custody in the entire decade preceding the war, making the current death toll a staggering and alarming escalation. Since the conflict’s onset, Israel’s prison population has more than doubled, soaring to approximately 11,000, as thousands of Palestinians were rounded up, primarily from Gaza and the West Bank. The organization’s data clearly indicates that the number of prisoners dying has grown at an even faster rate than the increase in the overall prison population during this period.
The grim conditions within Israeli prisons have also been a subject of public discourse and political controversy. Last year, the far-right, nationalist National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees Israel’s prison system, publicly boasted that he had intentionally degraded prison conditions to the legal minimum, vowing that they would no longer be perceived as "summer camps." Such statements have been seen by rights groups as contributing to an environment where abuses are more likely to occur and less likely to be challenged. While PHRI acknowledges that under pressure from rights groups, conditions in Israeli detention facilities have seen a slight improvement in recent months, the overall situation remains critical.
Personal testimonies gathered by PHRI provide chilling insights into the daily realities faced by detainees. A former nurse at the Sde Teiman military prison in southern Israel, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, recounted a disturbing practice where chains were used to shackle many prisoners’ arms and legs. She claimed this led to such severe wounds in some cases that Palestinians’ limbs had to be amputated. During her several weeks of work at the facility in early 2024, which has been a focal point of high-profile abuse allegations and held numerous detainees from Gaza, she stated that while she did not witness any deaths personally, staff frequently mentioned prisoner deaths. PHRI reported that she ultimately left her position due to her distress over the alleged abusive treatment of the prisoners.
Sde Teiman has been at the epicenter of numerous abuse claims. PHRI’s report states that 29 prisoners have died at Sde Teiman since the war began. Earlier this year, an Israeli soldier was convicted of abusing Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman and sentenced to seven months in prison in a high-profile case. The army presented this as evidence of accountability within its ranks. However, lawyers representing Palestinian prisoners frequently argue that Israel rarely conducts serious investigations into alleged violence, a lack of oversight they claim fuels the problem.
Further illustrating the complex and often contentious public mood surrounding these issues, Israel’s military’s top lawyer was recently compelled to resign after admitting she had approved the leak of a surveillance video central to an investigation into severe abuse allegations against a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman. She stated her intention was to defend her office’s decision to prosecute guards for the alleged abuses. Instead, the leak ignited fierce criticism from hard-line Israelis, including some government officials, who expressed sympathy for the accused guards. The incident led to angry protests at Sde Teiman and another detention center, where protesters clashed with prison guards and attempted to breach the facilities, highlighting deep societal divisions. Several soldiers were indicted in that specific case, which is still pending before a military court.
Pinpointing the precise cause of death for most prisoners can be challenging. However, in cases where doctors, at the behest of prisoners’ families, were granted permission by Israel to attend autopsies, their reports have provided crucial evidence. Eight such reports cited by PHRI and reviewed by The Associated Press consistently revealed a pattern of physical abuse and medical neglect. In one poignant example, a 45-year-old man named Mohammad Husein Ali, who died in Kishon detention center, showed multiple signs of physical assault, likely causing a brain bleed, according to the report. The potential use of excessive restraints was also noted. His family attested that he was in good health before his detention from his West Bank home and tragically died within a week of imprisonment.
The issue of malnutrition as a contributing factor in detainee deaths is particularly alarming. As mentioned, the death of a 17-year-old boy from starvation points to severe neglect. In response to mounting pressure, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered in September that more and better food be served to Palestinian inmates, and rights groups have observed a slight improvement in this specific aspect. The army, for its part, maintains that detainees receive three dietitian-approved meals daily, and that every detainee undergoes a medical examination upon arrival, with regular check-ups for those requiring monitoring.
The report by Physicians for Human Rights – Israel serves as an urgent call for greater transparency, accountability, and adherence to international humanitarian law within the Israeli detention system. The dramatic increase in deaths, coupled with persistent allegations of physical violence and medical negligence, demands immediate and thorough independent investigations to ensure the protection of all detainees and to prevent further loss of life.
