At least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody over the past two years, the highest number ever recorded, in a "systematic policy of killing”, according to a new report.
Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI) said its findings, released on Monday, were based on freedom of information requests, autopsy reports and medical files, as well as testimonies from former detainees and medical staff.
They point to a “consistent pattern” of brutal violence and neglect by guards, including autopsy reports showing evidence of head injuries, internal bleeding, fractured ribs, severe malnutrition, denial of life-saving medication and the fatal failure to treat diseases like cancer.
PHRI says the deaths are likely an underestimation due to what it describes as the Israeli army's “policy of enforced disappearance” since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023.
“The unprecedented number of Palestinians who have died in Israeli custody over the past two years, together with clear evidence of deaths caused by torture and medical neglect, points to a deliberate Israeli policy of killing Palestinians while in detention,” said Oneg Ben Dror from PHRI.
“These findings, and the ongoing failure of Israeli law enforcement to prosecute those responsible, turn Israeli law itself into a fig leaf and a tool for concealment. The data collected in this report underlines the urgent need for an independent international investigation to end this policy and ensure accountability for those responsible.”
Ms Ben Dror added that to date, not a single soldier, prison guard or Israel Prison Service (IPS) doctor had been prosecuted, even in cases with clear evidence of violence or medical neglect.
Israel launched an unprecedented bombardment and siege on Gaza in the wake of the deadly 7 October Hamas attacks on southern Israel in which militants killed over 1,200 Israelis and took a further 250 hostage, according to Israeli government estimates.
Since then Israel has destroyed most of Gaza, killing over 69,000 people and arresting thousands more, according to Palestinian officials.
Estimates shared with The Independent from both Israel and Palestinian rights groups suggest the number of Palestinian detainees has doubled in two years to nearly 10,000. Many are held incommunicado, without charge, or have been released and sometimes rearrested.
The Independent’s own investigation into deaths in custody, based on indictments, autopsy reports and sworn testimony from those still in detention, showed alleged torture, including sexual assault, sleep deprivation and the withholding of medical care.
PHRI’s report, which has been described as the most comprehensive to date, said at least 46 prisoners held by the IPS have died since October 2023 in Ketziot, Megiddo, Ofer, Nitzan, Nafha/Ramon, and Eshel prisons as well as IPS medical centre (Marash) and in Shin Bet interrogation centres (Kishon and Shikma). Another 52 Palestinians, all from Gaza, died under military custody.
The report said 29 deaths occurred in the now infamous Sde Teiman military camp, a military base near the Gaza perimeter, where The Independent has documented torture and sexual violence. Five died at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva after delayed transfer from military detention, two in the Ofer military camp and one in Anatot. The place of death of eight Palestinians remains unknown, the group said.
The IPS and the military have been approached for comment. Both have repeatedly denied committing any violations or abusing detainees in multiple statements over the last two years.
Last month, the IPS said it “operates in accordance with the law and under the supervision of official oversight bodies”. It claimed all inmates are held “according to legal procedures, and their rights, including access to medical care and adequate living conditions, are upheld by professionally trained staff”.
The military, which has also conceded that it is investigating alleged abuses against detainees by its soldiers, added: “Any mistreatment of detainees, whether during detention or interrogation, is strictly prohibited and constitutes a violation of Israeli and international law and of IDF regulations.”
The report said families often went weeks or even months without being informed of relatives’ deaths, often learning of them only through the media.
It added that autopsies were frequently delayed or conducted without the presence of a family-appointed physician, and in many cases no official forensic examination was carried out at all, including the five months from October 2023 and March 2024, when at least 35 detainees died.
In the testimonies accompanying the report, PHRI documents inmates apparently starving to death, diabetic patients having no access to insulin, several with internal injuries, broken ribs and ruptured organs, as well as one, 21-year-old, Mohammed al-Sabar from the occupied West Bank, who died in Ofer prison in February 2024. His intestines had almost exploded after he was denied treatment and medication for a childhood condition, Hirschsprung’s disease.
The report comes after the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to oppose any attempt to establish a Palestinian state, ahead of a UN Security Council vote on Monday on a US-drafted resolution on Gaza that leaves the door open to Palestinian independence.
In September, after the UK, Australia and Canada formally recognised a Palestinian state, Mr Netanyahu blasted the countries for proffering a “prize” to Hamas.
On Monday, Germany moved to resume weapons sales to Israel, but said the decision was subject to observing the ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian aid.
As a staunch supporter and the second-largest exporter of arms to Israel after the United States, it announced the suspension in August following mounting popular pressure over the war.
The decision affected weapons and systems that could be used in Gaza but not others deemed necessary for Israel to defend itself from external attacks.
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