Handcuffed Gazan killed in custody at Shin Bet interrogation center

Roya News

2 days ago

A 40-year-old Palestinian detainee from Gaza died after allegedly falling from a significant height while handcuffed inside an 'Israeli' Shin Bet interrogation facility, according to a recent investigation by Haaretz.
The incident, reportedly, occurred in January 2024, adding to a disturbing pattern of deaths in "Israeli" custody since the start of the war on Gaza.
The report stated that he man's body was transferred without identification, leaving him officially unrecognized, though Haaretz reports that Shin Bet is aware of his identity.
"Israeli" authorities later claimed the detainee fell while trying to escape, despite being restrained at the time.
An autopsy confirmed injuries consistent with a high fall, as well as marks indicating he had been shackled for an extended period. The "Israeli" Ministry of Justice concluded its internal inquiry without finding suspicion of criminal wrongdoing, even though the man died while in state custody.
The Haaretz investigation reveals that since October 7, 2023, at least six Palestinians have been killed during Shin Bet interrogations. "Israel's" Department for the Investigation of Interrogation Complaints stated that in three of the cases, no criminal suspicion was found.
In a fourth case, the court closed the investigation. Two additional cases are still under review. In all instances, forensic assessments were sought, and further investigative steps were reportedly taken.
One of the closed cases involved Dr. Iyad Rantisi, a 53-year-old director of a women's hospital in Beit Lahia, who died in Shikma Prison six days after his arrest in November. His family was not informed of his death until Haaretz published a report in June. While the official cause of death was listed as a heart attack, his body bore signs of physical trauma, raising suspicions that injuries may have contributed to his death.
The Shin Bet does not disclose the deaths of detainees in its custody. Since the beginning of the war, deaths of Gazan detainees in Israeli prisons or military facilities have remained largely unreported and cloaked in secrecy.
In a separate incident, on Sunday, 20-year-old Ahmad Saeed Saleh Tazaz'a, a Palestinian from Jenin, died in Megiddo Prison while under administrative detention since May 2025. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs reported the death, saying Tazaz'a was in good health prior to his arrest.
The "Israel" Prison Service declined to comment and referred Haaretz.
Tazaz'a is the sixth detainee to die in Megiddo Prison since the war began. A previous Haaretz investigation exposed systemic neglect in the facility, including malnutrition and deteriorating health conditions. According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, at least 76 Palestinian detainees have died in "Israeli" prisons and military detention centers since October 7, all with known identities.