(Adnkronos) – At least 94 Palestinian detainees and prisoners have died in Israeli custody in less than two years, between October 7, 2023 – the day of the Hamas attack – and August 31, 2025. This was reported by a Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (Phri) report, which openly speaks of a practice of “systematic killings and cover-ups”.
According to the report, based on official data, forensic reports, information from other human rights groups, and testimonies from detainees and families, the number of deaths of Palestinians detained for security reasons has significantly increased since the Hamas attack on October 7. In the preceding 10 years, fewer than 30 Palestinians had died in Israeli custody.
Phri states that human rights violations committed against these detainees are systematic. The authors of the report attribute the deaths to physical violence and medical negligence, emphasizing that Israeli prison facilities, particularly under the control of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have transformed into “places of torture and abuse”.
In detail, the report specifies that 52 of the victims were held in military prisons, while 42 died in civilian prisons. The highest number of deaths (29) occurred at Sde Teiman military prison, known for being at the center of a previous scandal following the release of a video showing the torture of a Palestinian detainee, an event that led to the resignation of the former Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi.
The Israeli Prison Service firmly rejected the accusations. In a statement released to the BBC, it clarified that it “operates according to the law and under the supervision of official oversight bodies,” ensuring that the rights of all detainees are guaranteed, including “access to medical care, hygiene, and adequate living conditions.”
