Death under administrative detention raises fresh concerns
A 26-year-old Palestinian man held in Israeli custody under administrative detention has died in prison, drawing strong allegations of mistreatment from Palestinian rights groups.
The Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Society confirmed that Sakhr Ahmad Zaoul died on Sunday, December 14, while being held at Ofer detention facility. Zaoul had been imprisoned since June 11 without formal charges or trial.
According to his family, Zaoul did not suffer from any chronic medical conditions prior to his detention.
Allegations of systematic abuse
In a joint statement, the two Palestinian organisations accused Israeli authorities of engaging in what they described as systematic mistreatment and deliberate extermination of Palestinian detainees.
“This reflects a policy of slow killing, encouraged by Israeli officials,” the statement alleged, directly naming Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The groups claimed that the Israeli prison system, with the backing of security services and judicial mechanisms, has institutionalised physical and psychological destruction of Palestinian prisoners.
They further alleged that detainees are subjected to torture, starvation, denial of medical care, sexual assault, and severe overcrowding, with basic rights used as tools of repression.
Health and detention conditions
Rights groups highlighted unhygienic prison conditions and the spread of diseases, including scabies, which they described as an additional form of abuse rather than a public health failure.
They warned that deaths in custody are becoming increasingly frequent. “At least one Palestinian prisoner dies every month, while bodies of deceased detainees continue to be withheld,” the statement said.
The organisations also claimed that field executions of detainees have been documented, calling the Israeli detention system “criminal in nature”.
Administrative detention under scrutiny
Administrative detention allows Israeli authorities to hold individuals for renewable periods without charge, based on classified evidence. Human rights groups have long criticised the practice, arguing that it violates international legal standards and denies detainees the right to a fair trial.
Zaoul’s death adds to a growing list of detainees who have died while in custody since the escalation of conflict in the region.
Calls for accountability
The Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Society called for international accountability and independent investigations into deaths in Israeli prisons, urging global institutions to intervene to protect detainees’ rights.
Israeli authorities have not publicly commented on Zaoul’s death at the time of reporting.