Another Palestinian dies in Israeli custody, raising alarm over 'systematic brutality'

A Palestinian detainee has died in a notorious Israeli prison, raising the alarm among rights groups over systematic brutality, as the death is the latest in a toll of 100 since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023.

The detainee has been identified as 26-year-old Sakhr Ahmed Khalil Zaoul, from the town of Husan in the Bethlehem governorate. He was pronounced dead in Ofer Prison, the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Club both confirmed on Sunday.

Zaoul has been reportedly imprisoned since 11 June, held in administrative detention and without trial or charge. The young Palestinian man did not suffer from any chronic illnesses, his family said, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Zaoul’s death in Israeli custody and with no record of being ill indicates he was likely subject to violence, deliberate starvation or medical neglect or any form of abuse at the hands of prison authorities, Palestinian rights groups say.

The Palestinian prisoner groups’ statement added: "The martyrdom of detainee Zaoul comes just four days after the martyrdom of detainee Abdul Rahman al-Sabateen from the same town."

Al-Sabateen, 21, died at an Israeli medical facility on Tuesday night after being arrested in June.

Like Zaoul, al-Sabateen showed no signs of illness after he was last visited by his family on 25 November.

Prisoner deaths are "being carried out with open and explicit calls from leaders and ministers in the occupation government, most notably the fascist Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir," the groups added in their statement.

"What the Israeli system of brutality is practicing against prisoners and detainees is nothing less than systematic extermination," the statement continued. 

Deaths in Israeli custody are commonplace, though the number of those dying in prison has risen sharply following the appointment of the far-right and extremist Ben-Gvir as Minister of National Security, and amid the brutal war on Gaza.

His policies include smaller food portions, less exposure to sunlight, no adequate clothing or place of rest, among other dire conditions.

Over 10,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since the start of Israel's war on Gaza. 

During the military offensive in Gaza, scores of Palestinians in the enclave were also forced to strip to their underwear and kneel on the ground in cold temperatures as they were rounded up by Israeli soldiers - in horrifying scenes that shocked the world.

In November, the Physicians for Human Rights Israel NGO said at least 98 Palestinians had died in Israeli prisons, with a report from the organisation exposing the systematic abuse occurring in jail through evidence, interviews and testimonies.

The number, however, is likely to be higher, as news of detainee deaths can be withheld by Israeli authorities.

Administrative detention is a policy used by Israel against Palestinians over the decades, which sees a person held without trial and without necessarily committing a criminal offence, on the grounds that he or she plans to break the law in the future.

The person in question is detained without legal proceedings, and based on classified evidence that has not been revealed to them.

Under the administrative detention order, Israel imprisons Palestinians for six months at a time, which can be extended indefinitely.

This process leaves the detainee helpless, as they cannot disprove the charges held against them. They also don’t know if or when they will be released, or if they will face trial.

The Palestinian prisoner associations said they hold Israel fully responsible for the death of Zaoul, and called on the international human rights community to "take effective measures to hold the occupation leaders accountable for the war crimes committed against prisoners and the Palestinian people".

Around 9,300 Palestinians are thought to be held in Israeli jails, including women and children, with hundreds in administrative detention.