The Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners' Club report that 54 Palestinian detainees, including 35 from Gaza, have been killed under torture in Israeli prisons since the genocidal war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023. This tragic figure underscores the intensified targeting of Palestinian prisoners under increasingly harsh conditions. Dozens of detainees from Gaza remain forcibly disappeared, with Israeli authorities withholding the bodies of those killed, a practice that exacerbates the suffering of their families.

In a statement marking Palestinian Martyr's Day on January 7, the institutions revealed that the fate of many Gaza detainees remains unknown, and 63 bodies of martyr prisoners are still withheld, including 52 killed since the beginning of the war. Since 1967, 291 confirmed Palestinian prisoners have died under torture or during field executions in Israeli custody, highlighting the ongoing and systemic violence inflicted on detainees.

The institutions warn that the Israeli occupation’s systematic liquidation of prisoners is a deliberate escalation, violating all international humanitarian laws and standards. They describe the deaths of five detainees in late December 2024 within 24 hours as part of an escalating humanitarian disaster. The victims included Ashraf Abu Warda and four others, who died under horrific conditions in Israeli prisons.

The statement emphasizes that the ongoing deaths of detainees signal the occupation’s intent to systematically eliminate Palestinian prisoners. The institutions stress that time is critical as conditions in Israeli prisons worsen, with torture, medical neglect, starvation, and physical and sexual assault becoming more widespread. The mistreatment of detainees is seen as an extension of Israel's genocidal policies against the Palestinian people.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Authority and the Prisoners' Club hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the deaths of detainees and call on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel. They urge accountability for Israeli leaders responsible for war crimes, the dismantling of Israel’s exceptional immunity, and decisive action to protect prisoners and uphold international human rights.