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Days of Palestine
4 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
70-year-old Gaza detainee dies in Israeli prison, adding to rising prisoner death toll
DaysofPal – A 70-year-old Palestinian man from Gaza, Muhammad Ibrahim Abu Habel, died in Israeli custody on January 10, according to a joint statement released by the Detainees and Ex-Detainees' Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS). Abu Habel, a father of 11, had been detained by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on November 12, 2024, at the 'Civil Administration' checkpoint. His death brings the number of Palestinians who have died in Israeli detention since the beginning of Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza to at least 71, including 45 from the besieged territory. Rights groups warn that this reflects a worsening pattern of systemic abuse and 'organized crimes' against Palestinian prisoners. 'This marks the deadliest period in the history of the Palestinian prisoners' movement since 1967,' the statement said, noting that a total of 308 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody over the decades. The Commission and PPS highlighted an alarming trend of torture, medical neglect, starvation, and sexual violence in Israeli detention facilities, particularly targeting detainees from Gaza. 'Torture remains the primary cause of death among detainees,' the statement asserted, adding that many are also subjected to inhumane treatment and denial of medical care. Testimonies from released detainees describe harrowing conditions and daily mistreatment. The rights groups emphasized that many deaths occur under opaque circumstances, with Israeli authorities often issuing 'limited and contradictory' official explanations. In some cases, families and legal representatives had to fight simply to confirm whether a detainee was alive. The two groups also expressed concern about the worsening circumstances facing over 10,400 Palestinians who are incarcerated in Israeli facilities. These include 2,214 Palestinians from Gaza who have been classified as 'illegal combatants,' 49 women, more than 440 children, and 3,562 administrative detainees who have been detained without charge or trial. These figures exclude an unknown number of detainees held in secretive Israeli military camps. Calling for accountability, the commission and PPS held Israel 'fully responsible' for Abu Habel's death. They renewed their demand for an independent international investigation into the treatment of Palestinian detainees and urged global human rights bodies to take action. 'It is time to break the exceptional immunity granted to Israel,' the groups stated, calling for serious international steps, including sanctions and isolation, to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law and human rights. Shortlink for this post:
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Palestinian prisoner death toll rises as elderly man from Gaza dies in Israeli detention
An elderly man from Gaza has died in Israeli detention, bringing the overall death toll of Palestinian prisoners to at least 71 since 7 October 2023. Though the Israeli army had notified two Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, of his death in recent days, 70-year-old Hussein Abu Habel actually died on 10 January. Forty-five of the 71 Palestinians known to have died in Israeli-run detention centres and prisons since the start of the war on Gaza were from Gaza and their identities were known. In what has been described by the two prisoner advocacy groups as the "bloodiest phase in the history of the prisoner movement" and the "most severe" in detention conditions, the total number of identified Palestinian prisoners to have died since 1967 has risen to 308. "The case of the martyr Abu Habel is added to the record of the Israeli system of brutality, which operates around the clock through a series of organised crimes to kill prisoners and detainees," the prisoner advocacy groups said in a statement. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "These crimes constitute another aspect of the ongoing genocide and an extension of it." Torture, sexual assault, negiligence Abu Habel, who was married and the father of 11 children, was arrested on 12 November. The prisoner groups said they held Israel fully responsible for his death and demanded an international investigation into the deaths of Palestinian detainees. They said that reports on detainees and the circumstances of their deaths have been "limited to the army's narrative", as prison authorities continue to withhold some of the prisoners' bodies and have failed to disclose the cause of death. The statement emphasised that "torture crimes" constituted the "primary cause" of death for most Palestinian detainees killed since the beginning of the war on Gaza, alongside "escalating medical crimes, starvation and rape crimes". The Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said the situation in Israeli prisons was taking "a more dangerous turn". According to the advocacy groups, Palestinian prisoners continue to be exposed to "systemic crimes", including starvation, torture, medical crimes and negiligence, sexual assaults, and the deliberate placing of them in poor and crowded conditions that lead to serious and contagious diseases. In a press release, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), an NGO established to monitor the use of torture and ill-treatment by Israeli security services against Palestinians under detention, noted a gap of 144 detainees in the state's data. "The fate of these detainees is unknown, and unexplained by state authorities," the statement read. Tal Steiner, the group's executive director, called on Israeli authorities to "provide complete explanations regarding the fate of the 144 missing detainees, and to immediately change the legislation that violates the fundamental rights of detainees. "The disturbing reports of torture in detention facilities and harsh living conditions that have even led to the deaths of many detainees require immediate investigation and fundamental change in the treatment of detainees." Administrative detention and 'unlawful combatants' As of June, there are over 10,400 Palestinians held in Israeli-run prisons, not including those held under military administrative detention. With regards to Palestinians held in military prisons under administrative detention, there are 49 women, over 440 children and 3,562 men, according to the Commission of Detainees Affairs. War on Gaza: Israel imprisoned 82-year-old Palestinian woman as 'unlawful combatant' Read More » Administrative detention allows Israel's military to hold prisoners indefinitely, citing alleged secret information, without charging them or allowing them to stand trial. While the period of detention lasts six months, it can be renewed indefinitely. Access to a lawyer varies from case to case, though, and detainees don't know what the charges against them are. An additional 2,214 detainees held by military authorities are from Gaza and have been classified as "unlawful combatants". The majority of people from Gaza held under the unlawful combatant law don't have charges against them either. Steiner said the legislation "enables serious rights violations that are incompatible with democratic values and international law". Released Palestinians from Gaza have spoken of how they were interrogated about whether they supported Hamas, where they lived and other details about their lives - but not presented with a single charge. Since Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza in late October 2023, its forces have seized hundreds of civilians from their homes or while they were fleeing fighting through "safe corridors". Some have been released after interrogation but many have been taken to undisclosed locations, including mothers separated from their babies.
