Two Detainees Killed in Israeli Custody Amid Reports of Medical Negligence and Torture

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- The Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs informed the Palestinian Prisoners Club and the Commission of Detainees Affairs today of the deaths of two Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention. The two prisoners were identified as Samih Suleiman Aliwi, 61, from Nablus, and Anwar Shaban Islim, 44, from Gaza.

According to the Commission and the Prisoners Club, Aliwi passed away on November 6, 2024, six days after being transferred from the Israeli Ramle prison clinic to Assaf Harofeh Hospital. He had previously been held at the Negev prison. Notably, the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) did not immediately announce his death despite being obligated to do so. Meanwhile, Islim died yesterday, November 14, during his transfer from Negev prison to Soroka Hospital following a ‘sudden deterioration’ in his health.

Victims of Systematic Medical Neglect

In a joint statement, the Commission and the Prisoners Club revealed that Aliwi had been detained under administrative detention since October 21, 2023. During a visit by the Commission’s lawyer in August 2024, Aliwi disclosed that he had suffered from severe health issues, including a benign intestinal tumor, prior to his arrest. He had undergone multiple surgeries and was scheduled for another procedure in December 2023, which was canceled due to his detention, worsening his condition.

The lawyer’s report detailed that Aliwi endured significant mistreatment. Despite his deteriorating health, he was often transported to the prison clinic while shackled and faced repeated abuse. By August, he had lost over 40 kilograms and struggled to consume the minimal food provided. He received no medical treatment despite appeals from human rights organizations.

Islim, detained since December 8, 2023, was reportedly in good health before his arrest. According to his family, he had no prior medical conditions, making his sudden death particularly suspicious.

Decades of Systematic Abuse and Medical Neglect

The deaths of Aliwi and Islim underscore long-standing reports by Palestinian rights groups of systemic medical neglect and torture in Israeli prisons. Both prisoners’ deaths come amid what the ongoing genocide targeting Palestinian detainees, particularly since the escalation of Israel’s assaults over the past year.

Since the onset of the genocide in Gaza, prisoner advocacy groups have reported a surge in health-related fatalities among detainees. The Commission asserts that prisoners with pre-existing conditions, who initially withstood harsh detention conditions, are now succumbing to a lack of medical care, while previously healthy prisoners are falling ill.

In a previous statement, the Prisoners Club highlighted a health crisis in the Negev prison, where scabies outbreaks have affected hundreds of detainees. Rights groups confirm that the IPS is weaponizing diseases like scabies as tools of torture, turning these prisons into breeding grounds for suffering and death.

The Rising Toll on Palestinian Detainees

With the deaths of Aliwi and Islim, the number of known Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli custody since 1967 has reached 280. Since October 7, 2024, the tally of those who died due to neglect has climbed to 43. Advocacy groups stress that the actual numbers may be higher, as Israel conceals the identities of many deceased detainees.

The Palestinian Prisoners Commission and the Prisoners Club have renewed their call for international human rights organizations to break their silence on Israel’s war crimes against detainees. They emphasized the need to end the impunity granted to Israel by the international community, which has emboldened its policies of detention and systematic abuse.

As of early November 2024, there are over 10,200 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, including 96 women and at least 270 children. Among them, 3,443 are held under administrative detention without charge or trial, including 31 women and 100 children. Rights groups have warned that continued neglect and abuse could lead to further deaths in custody, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian conditions faced by Palestinian detainees.

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs has held Israel fully responsible for the deaths of Aliwi and Islim, adding to an unprecedented wave of crimes committed since the start of the genocide. The statement concluded with a renewed plea for global intervention to hold Israel accountable and end the ongoing suffering of Palestinian prisoners.

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