Der Spiegel Report Reveals Israeli Involvement in Organ Trafficking in Kenya
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- A recent Der Spiegel investigation has uncovered a disturbing link between Israeli nationals and an illegal organ trafficking network operating in Kenya. The report reveals that Germans in need of kidney transplants are traveling to Kenya to purchase organs from impoverished donors, often exploited by an Israeli national.
The Der Spiegel investigation reveals that Germany is one of the main countries where recipients travel to Kenya to buy kidneys. The donors, who are frequently from poor backgrounds, are promised large sums of money for their organs, but often receive only a small fraction of the payment. The brokers behind the trafficking operation are said to be Israeli, with authorities having been on the hunt for the individual running the operation for years. The report does not provide further information about this Israeli individual’s identity.
The network facilitates kidney transplants by pre-arranging the organ sale to the highest bidder. Recipients, primarily from Germany, pay large sums—up to $200,000—for the transplants, while the donors, many from Kenya or other impoverished regions, are left with only a fraction of that sum. The investigation also highlights that the donors often face serious health risks after undergoing the illegal surgeries.
This latest revelation comes amid a broader history of organ trafficking reports involving Israel. In 2009, Israeli authorities acknowledged that during the 1990s, the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute had removed organs—including corneas, skin, and bone—from deceased Palestinians without proper consent. Yehuda Hiss, the then-chief pathologist, admitted to the actions as part of a plea bargain, although the Israeli Ministry of Health claimed that such practices ended in 2000.
In November 2023, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor raised concerns that Israeli forces had been stealing organs from deceased Palestinians in Gaza, calling for an independent investigation into these claims.
While Israel has denied any official involvement in current organ trafficking networks, its history has raised concerns about its role in the global black market for human organs. A 2015 European Parliament report on human organ trafficking identified Israel as a central player in the illegal trade, acting as both a consumer and importer of organs.
One of the most high-profile cases in recent years was the conviction of Israeli national Levy Itzhak Rosenbaum in 2011. He was found guilty in the United States for trafficking black market kidneys, organizing transplants for FBI informants and others, charging up to $160,000 per kidney.
In 2018, Israeli doctor Moshe Harel was arrested in Cyprus for his role in an international organ trafficking ring. He facilitated illegal kidney transplants at the Medicus clinic in Kosovo in 2008.
