DaysofPal- The Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies has accused Israeli forces of executing Palestinian detainees from Gaza in custody, stating that 43 individuals whose names have been identified were killed after being captured during Israel’s ongoing war on the Strip.
In a detailed report published Friday, the Center said that since the beginning of the Israeli assault on Gaza in October 2023, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been arrested. Many have been subjected to torture and inhumane conditions, with some reportedly dying as a result of direct abuse, medical neglect, or execution.
The group emphasized that “Israel has not only caused mass casualties among civilians but has also conducted field executions of prisoners taken from Gaza.” It added that dozens of other detainees are feared dead, though their identities remain unknown due to Israel’s policy of secrecy and enforced disappearance.
According to the Center, Israeli authorities have built new military detention facilities to accommodate the surge in arrests since October 7. Within these camps, detainees have reportedly faced widespread mistreatment, including physical and psychological torture, sexual violence, starvation, and denial of basic needs such as food, clothing, and rest.
The report stated that medical neglect has led to the deterioration and eventual deaths of injured or ill detainees. In many cases, the deceased had reportedly been deprived of urgent care. “This deliberate withholding of medical treatment constitutes a method of slow execution,” the report said.
Most of those executed, according to the Center, were captured from hospitals or displacement shelters, where they posed no threat. Some were shot while bound, while others are believed to have died during interrogations or from the impact of torture inside facilities such as Sde Teiman, Ofer, Negev, Nafha, and Minshar prisons.
In a rare acknowledgment, Israeli authorities recently revealed the identities of three deceased Palestinian detainees after mounting pressure from human rights groups. The Center believes this confirms broader concerns that many others remain missing and potentially dead under Israeli custody.
“Enforced disappearance has become systematic,” the report said, “giving Israeli forces the cover to carry out abuses and killings without oversight. Legal and institutional protections granted to Shin Bet and army personnel further enable this practice.”
The total number of Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli custody since 1967 has reached 306, according to the Center. Of those, 69 deaths occurred since the war on Gaza began. Israel is reportedly withholding the bodies of 77 prisoners, refusing to return them to their families.
The center warned that the death toll inside prisons could rise, citing ongoing reports of torture, starvation, psychological torment, and lack of medical attention, conditions tolerated and encouraged by Israel’s far-right leadership.
The center called for international action and urged human rights organizations and the global community to demand independent investigations. It pressed for immediate accountability, particularly through international courts, emphasizing the need to prosecute Israeli military and political leaders for war crimes.
Israeli authorities freed ten detainees from Gaza on Friday, one of whom had a leg amputated while incarcerated. The group was transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Witnesses reported signs of physical abuse, extreme fatigue, and malnutrition among the released detainees, underscoring ongoing concerns about conditions in Israeli detention centers.
Despite these occasional releases, the center insists that many more remain unaccounted for and that silence or inaction from the international community risks enabling further violations.
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