Nearly 100 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023, according to a damning new report that reveals systematic violence and medical neglect within detention facilities.
Systematic Abuse Revealed
The Israeli human rights organisation Physicians for Human Rights Israel documented 98 prisoner deaths between October 2023 and November 2025, with fatalities occurring at an alarming rate that far exceeds pre-war levels. The report indicates the actual death toll is likely significantly higher, as Israel has refused to provide information about hundreds of Palestinians detained during the conflict.
Data shows 27 deaths occurred in 2023, 50 in 2024, and 21 this year, with the most recent fatality recorded on November 2, 2025. This represents a dramatic increase compared to the fewer than 30 Palestinian deaths in Israeli custody recorded over the entire decade preceding the war.
The prison population has more than doubled to approximately 11,000 detainees since the conflict began, with most arrests occurring in Gaza and the West Bank. However, the death rate among prisoners has increased at an even faster pace during this period.
Former Guard Breaks Silence
A former guard at the notorious Sde Teiman military prison in southern Israel provided chilling testimony about routine abuse of detainees. Speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, he described prisoners being routinely shackled with chains, kicked, and beaten with batons.
The guard revealed the facility had earned the grim nickname "graveyard" due to the high number of prisoner deaths occurring there. He recounted arriving at work one morning to find a motionless Palestinian lying dead in the yard, with guards treating the incident as "business as usual."
According to his testimony, prisoners' arms and legs were constantly chained, and they faced beatings if they moved or spoke. The conditions were so severe that nearly all detainees would urinate and defecate on themselves rather than risk asking to use the bathroom.
Medical Neglect and Amputations
A former nurse who worked at Sde Teiman during early 2024 described even more disturbing conditions. She reported that chains used to restrain prisoners caused such severe wounds that some detainees required limb amputations.
Although she didn't witness any deaths during her several weeks at the facility, she confirmed that staff frequently discussed prisoner fatalities. The nurse ultimately left her position because she could no longer tolerate the abusive treatment of detainees.
PHRI's investigation found medical neglect contributed significantly to many deaths. In at least one case, malnutrition led to a 17-year-old boy dying from starvation. The organisation documented deaths by interviewing former detainees and prison medical staff, examining autopsy reports, and confirming fatalities through freedom of information requests.
Eight autopsy reports reviewed by investigators showed consistent patterns of physical abuse and medical neglect. One case involved 45-year-old Mohammad Husein Ali, who died at Kishon detention centre within a week of being detained from his West Bank home. The autopsy revealed multiple signs of physical assault likely causing brain bleeding, with potential use of excessive restraints noted.
Naji Abbas, a director at PHRI, stated: "The alarming rate at which people are killed in Israeli custody reveals a system that has lost all moral and professional restraint."
Accountability Questions
Israel's Prison Service stated it operates in accordance with the law but declined to comment on the death count, directing inquiries to the Israeli army. The military acknowledged some detainees have died, including individuals with preexisting illnesses or combat-related injuries.
The army claims allegations of abuse or inadequate conditions are assessed, with violators of conduct codes facing punishment and sometimes criminal investigations. They cited one soldier convicted of abusing Palestinians at Sde Teiman who received a seven-month prison sentence as evidence of accountability.
However, prisoner lawyers argue Israel rarely conducts serious investigations into alleged violence, which they say fuels the ongoing problem. The situation became so concerning that guards at Sde Teiman were reportedly instructed by commanders to reduce the number of deaths.
The installation of surveillance cameras eventually helped mitigate some abuse, according to the former guard. Nevertheless, 29 prisoners have died at Sde Teiman alone since the war began.
In a sign of the contentious public climate surrounding these issues, the Israeli military's top lawyer was recently forced to resign after acknowledging she approved leaking a surveillance video related to allegations of severe sexual abuse against a Palestinian at Sde Teiman.
The situation has drawn international concern as evidence mounts of systematic problems within Israel's detention system during the ongoing conflict.
