DaysofPal – The Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies said on Tuesday that Israeli authorities continue to target Palestinian detainees through torture and medical neglect, reporting that four prisoners died in Israeli custody during the first half of 2026.
In a statement, the center said the total number of Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli custody has risen to 327. According to the organization, 90 of those prisoners, whose identities have been confirmed, have died since the outbreak of the genocide on Gaza on October 7, 2023, through the end of June 2026.
The center said that 52 of those who died were prisoners from the Gaza Strip, most of whom died as a result of torture. Among them were several doctors and nurses.
One of the four prisoners who died in the first half of 2026 was Hamza Abdullah Adwan, 67, from the Gaza Strip, the statement said. He died after spending ten months in Israeli detention following his arrest in northern Gaza.
The center mentioned that Israeli occupation authorities did not disclose his death until four months later, adding that his deteriorating health, harsh detention conditions, and denial of medical treatment despite his suffering from multiple illnesses contributed to his death.
The second prisoner identified by the center was Hatem Ismail Rayan, 59, a paramedic from Gaza who was arrested in December 2024 during an Israeli raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
The statement noted that Rayan was arrested with his wounded son, Muadh, while performing his humanitarian tasks. He was subjected to severe torture, harsh detention conditions, and medical neglect despite suffering from the effects of a previous stroke, ultimately leading to his death.
The third prisoner named was Marwan Fathi Harzallah, 54, a media professional from the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. He was arrested in January on charges of incitement.
The center said Harzallah had worked for the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation and had lost one of his legs after being shot by Israeli forces in 1995.
The fourth prisoner was identified as Imad Rajeh Sarhan from the city of Haifa, inside Israel. According to the center, he died as a result of medical neglect after spending 25 years in Israeli prisons.
The statement said Sarhan’s health had deteriorated significantly in recent months, but that he did not receive the treatment or medical care he required.
The Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies asserted that the actual number of Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli custody is higher than the officially announced figure. It said Israeli organizations and institutions have reported that at least 115 Palestinian detainees have died since October 7, 2023.
According to the center, Israeli authorities have officially acknowledged the deaths of only 90 prisoners while continuing the enforced disappearance of additional deceased detainees. The organization also accused Israel of withholding the names and places of detention of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, particularly those arrested from the Gaza Strip.
The center concluded by warning that deaths in Israeli prisons are likely to increase as long as policies of torture, abuse, starvation, and deliberate medical neglect continue. It added that approximately 9,500 Palestinian prisoners are currently being held in Israeli prisons under harsh and inhumane conditions that violate international human rights law.
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