Latest news with #PhysiciansforHumanRights-Israel
Los Angeles Times
07-04-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Palestinian teenager who died in Israeli prison showed signs of starvation, medical report says
TEL AVIV — Starvation was probably the leading cause of death for a Palestinian teenager who died in an Israeli prison, according to an Israeli doctor who observed the autopsy. Seventeen-year-old Walid Ahmad, who had been held for six months without being charged, suffered from extreme malnutrition, and also showed signs of inflammation of the colon and scabies, said a report written by Dr. Daniel Solomon, who watched the autopsy, conducted by Israeli experts, at the request of the boy's family. The Associated Press obtained a copy of Solomon's report from the family. It did not conclude a cause of death, but said Walid was in a state of extreme weight loss and muscle wasting. It also noted that Walid had complained to the prison of inadequate food since at least December, citing reports from the prison medical clinic. Walid died last month after collapsing in Megiddo prison and striking his head, Palestinian officials said, citing accounts from other prisoners. Israel's prison service said that a team was appointed to investigate Walid's death and that its findings would be sent to authorities. Walid is the youngest Palestinian to die in an Israeli prison since the start of the Gaza war, according to Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, which has documented Palestinian prisoner deaths. He was taken into custody from his home in the occupied West Bank during a predawn raid in September, accused of throwing stones at soldiers, his family said. The autopsy was conducted March 27 at Israel's Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, which has not released a report of its findings and did not respond to requests for comment. The Ahmad family's lawyer, Nadia Daqqa, confirmed that Solomon, a gastrointestinal surgeon, was granted permission to observe the autopsy by an Israeli civil court. Rights groups have documented widespread abuse in Israeli detention facilities holding thousands of Palestinians who were rounded up after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority says Israel is holding the bodies of 72 Palestinian prisoners who died in Israeli jails, including 61 who died since the beginning of the war. Israel often holds on to bodies of dead Palestinians, citing security grounds or for political leverage. Conditions in Israeli prisons have worsened since the start of the war, former detainees have told the AP. They described beatings, severe overcrowding, insufficient medical care, scabies outbreaks and poor sanitary conditions. Megiddo prison, a maximum-security facility where many Palestinian detainees, including teens, are held without charge, is regarded as one of the harshest, said Naji Abbas, head of the Prisoners and Detainees Department at Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Israel's prison service said that it operates according to the law and that all prisoners are given basic rights. Walid's lawyer, Firas al-Jabrini, said Israeli authorities denied his requests to visit his client in prison, but three prisoners held there told him Walid suffered from severe diarrhea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness before he died. They suspected it was caused by dirty water, as well as cheese and yogurt prison guards brought in the morning that sat out all day while detainees were fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the lawyer said. According to Dr. Solomon's report, the autopsy showed that Walid probably suffered from inflammation of the large intestine, a condition known as colitis that can cause frequent diarrhea and in some cases can contribute to death. But medical experts said colitis usually doesn't cause death in young patients and was probably exacerbated by severe malnutrition. 'He suffered from starvation that led to severe malnutrition and in combination with untreated colitis that caused dehydration and electrolyte levels disturbances in his blood, which can cause heart rate abnormalities and death,' said Dr. Lina Qasem Hassan, the head of the board for Physicians for Human Rights-Israel who reviewed the report at the request of the AP. She said the findings indicated medical neglect, exacerbated by Walid's inability to fight disease or infection because of how malnourished and frail he was. Dr. Arne Stray-Pedersen, a professor of forensic medicine at the University of Oslo in Norway who was not involved in the autopsy, said the report suggests there was a period of prolonged malnutrition and sickness lasting at least a few weeks or months. 'Based on the report, I interpret the underlying cause of death to be emaciation-wasting,' he said. Scabies rashes were also noted on Walid's legs and genital area, the report said. There was air between his lungs that expanded into his neck and back, it said, which can cause infection. Air can come from small tears in the lungs, which can occur from severe vomiting or coughing, it said. Walid's family said he was a healthy high school student who enjoyed playing soccer before he was taken into custody. His father, Khalid Ahmad, said his son sat through four brief court hearings by videoconference, and he noticed at one of them, in February, that Walid appeared to be in poor health. The family hasn't yet received a death certificate from Israel, Ahmad said Friday, and is hoping Solomon's report will help bring his son's body home. 'We will demand our son's body for burial,' he said. 'What is happening in Israeli prisons is a real tragedy, as there is no value for life.' Mednick writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Camps holding Palestinian detainees criticised in report
Detention camps opened by Israel following exposure of the treatment of Palestinian detainees seized in Gaza at another facility have themselves been criticised in new research. Israeli human rights organisations that interviewed dozens of current and former detainees are now asking the same court that ruled on the original facility to force the military to fix the problem once and for all. What the detainees' accounts show, rights groups say, is that instead of correcting alleged abuses against Palestinians held without charge or trial, including beatings, excessive handcuffing, and poor diet and health care, Israel's military just shifted where they take place. 'What we've seen is the erosion of the basic standards for humane detention,' said Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked, one of the rights groups petitioning the Israeli government. Asked for a response, the military said it complies with international law and 'completely rejects allegations regarding the systematic abuse of detainees'. The sprawling Ofer Camp and the smaller Anatot Camp, both built in the West Bank, were supposed to resolve problems rights groups documented at a detention centre in the Negev desert called Sde Teiman. That site was intended to temporarily hold and treat militants captured during Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. But it morphed into a long-term detention centre infamous for brutalising Palestinians rounded up in Gaza, often without being charged. Detainees transferred to Ofer and Anatot say conditions there were no better, according to more than 30 who were interviewed by lawyers for Hamoked and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. 'They would punish you for anything' said Khaled Alserr, 32, a surgeon from Gaza who spent months at Ofer Camp and agreed to speak about his experiences. He was released after six months without charge. Mr Alserr said he lost count of the beatings he endured from soldiers after being rounded up in March of last year during a raid at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. 'You'd be punished for making eye contact, for asking for medicine, for looking up towards the sky,' said Mr Alserr. Other detainees' accounts to the rights groups remain anonymous. Their accounts could not be independently confirmed, but their accounts, given separately, were similar. The Supreme Court has given the military until the end of March to respond to the alleged abuses at Ofer.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Readers sound off on Israel's health care prisoners, disrespect to Zelenskyy and ‘Conclave'
Los Altos, Calif.: The recent testimony of Dr. Khaled Alser, a renowned Palestinian surgeon at Nasser Hospital in Gaza, sheds light on the brutal conditions faced by Palestinian medical workers in Israeli detention. Abducted by Israeli forces during a raid on Gaza in March 2024, Alser was subjected to seven months of abuse, including physical beatings, sexual humiliation and denial of medical care. No charges were filed against him. He and many other health care workers were targeted solely due to their profession and their efforts to provide care amidst the devastation of the ongoing conflict. This disturbing pattern is documented in the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel report titled 'Unlawfully Detained, Tortured, and Starved: The Plight of Gaza's Medical Workers in Israeli Custody.' The report highlights the systematic abuse faced by Palestinian doctors and medical staff, many of whom are detained without charges. Alser's testimony, along with those of other detainees, describes horrific conditions, including physical violence, sexual assault and forced starvation. These stories call attention to the inhumane treatment of health care workers, who are critical in saving lives amid war. Alser and his colleagues continue to serve their communities despite the grave personal costs. He urges the international community to act, highlighting the dire need for the release of detained health care workers who remain in Israeli custody without due process. The world must not ignore the plight of these individuals who, despite facing unimaginable hardships, remain committed to their oath to provide medical care to all, irrespective of political or military affiliation. Jagjit Singh Bronx: I'm sure that if you asked any driver, one of their biggest gripes would be rude drivers who cut the line while waiting to get off at an exit for a parkway, highway, etc. Can't cameras be installed so when they illegally cross over the white line, they get fined? I'm sure the city and state would make a fortune. John Cirolia Brooklyn: A few weeks ago, I wrote in suggesting that President Trump do a total rehab of public housing. I believe the city should take stewardship of 'ghost' apartments and buildings, repair them and put them back on the market. Owners and the city can negotiate the cost of the repairs and rental prices. In this way, owners will win by having a rentable unit and the city wins with the addition of safe housing. Susan Caprio Manhattan: Longtime New Yorker, comedian, podcaster and activist Corinne Fisher has put in her bid to become the mayor of New York City. With the craziness going on in the mayor's office and the (very) recent announcement of Andrew Cuomo becoming a candidate, I think people need to know that there is another option! The Daily News has many readers in NYC and across the nation. I think constituents of NYC need to know about this grassroots campaign for mayor that could be groundbreaking. I think it would be a great opportunity for the Daily News to do a story/interview on/with Corinne to give her origins, pitch, platform, unique take and why she is taking this unprecedented move. She is eager to reach more New Yorkers (and Americans in general)! Cierra McNair Valhalla, N.Y.: President Trump, the United States is very proud of you for not only standing up to Volodymyr Zelenskyy but showing the world how powerful we still are and how we will stand up to anybody! Now that that's done, let's take a step backwards, have further conversations with Zelenskyy and show the world that despite how powerful we are, we also know how to show compassion. A deep breath by all sides will show how we can work together and reach agreements that benefit all involved. You've shown willingness to reconsider some decisions if they need adjustments — tariffs, layoffs, agency adjustments and listening to the American people and reacting to some of their wishes. This mineral agreement with Ukraine obviously benefits both countries and will lead to lasting peace with Russia and Putin. Russia won't continue attacking if the U.S. is actually working in Ukraine! Michael Grisanti Staten Island: Is the Daily News really planning to cover the story of the shameful, cowardly way that Trump/Vance treated Zelenskyy without mentioning the fact that Trump was impeached in his first term for withholding aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelenskyy into fabricating lies about Joe Biden to help Trump win in 2020? Victor R. Stanwick Little Egg Harbor, N.J.: I can not contain myself any longer regarding the Trump/Vance disgraceful treatment of Zelenskyy. Even if you might be in love with Trump, you should be able to admit when he is wrong. Sounds like Trump throwing Ukraine under the bus is reminiscent of the world appeasing Hitler. Easy to end a war when you let the communistic aggressor take what he wants. Georgia Dolack Brooklyn: I grew up in Lexington, Mass., and remember vividly our April 19 Patriots' Day celebrations. As a kid, my favorite was a trio of bloodstained and bandaged fife and drummers who set off the day. It brought tears to my eyes. It was the fervent love of country instilled at an early age living in that town, with its Minuteman statue of Capt. John Parker at one end of the town's Battle Green and the First Parish Church that had witnessed the battle at the other. Now, 70-some years later, my eyes still well up when I think about what it means to be an American, and particularly when I see our president discard every decent bit of our collective memory in search of humiliating another patriot from across the seas. What can we do to stop this rapid slide into totalitarianism promulgated not by a King George III, but by our own elected leaders? Ed Temple Greenburgh, N.Y.: The governors of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and other states around the nation should direct that the Ukrainian flag be flied alongside the United States and state flags in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. If enough states, counties and municipalities around the nation fly the Ukrainian flag during the month of March, we will send a powerful message to the world that many Americans continue to support the Ukrainian people, democracy and freedom. Paul Feiner Swarthmore, Pa.: Pressures are mounting on Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to bite the bullet. Soon he will have to bow to the painful inevitability that he will have to cede territory to Russia to stop the devastation being inflicted on his country and the suffering long endured by his people. It doesn't feel right or fair, but who ever said life was fair? The U.S. president is openly hostile to Zelenskyy and his quest to maintain complete territorial integrity of his country. Now even his staunch European allies seem to be wearying of unqualified support. Zelenskyy, a comedian by trade, will go down in history for his heroic, brave and valiant efforts to protect his country's sovereignty in the face of the overwhelming strength and brutality of his country's invaders. A crisis did not make Zelenskyy who he is, it just revealed his steely character. Ken Derow Yonkers: Dear President Elon Musk: Here are my five things I did this week: 1) Searched the cushions for spare change. 2) Saw my primary physician for sudden high blood pressure and migraines. 3) Rolled some pennies to help pay for eggs. 4) Clipped coupons for foods I dislike but that are on sale. 5) Saw a free horror show, live from the White House! Oh, I didn't have to send you this list? Since I can no longer afford the internet, please save this for future reference. P.S.: Please leave your adorable son at home with his mother and siblings. The White House is not a good place for innocent children. Mary Reynolds Massapequa Park, L.I.: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should choose quality over political correctness when voting for the awards. In no way should 'Anora' have won the Best Picture award when 'Conclave' is a much better film all around. I saw all of the nominated movies. 'Conclave' should have won. Thomas Facchiano
