The suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails has reached horrifying levels, with new testimonies revealing the extent of torture and mistreatment they endure. Riyad Al-Ashqar, head of the Palestinian Centre for Prisoner Studies, confirmed that more than half of the prisoners who have died since the start of the genocide against Gaza perished due to brutal torture inside Israeli detention centres.

According to Al-Ashqar, the total number of prisoners killed since 1967 has risen to 302, with 65 deaths recorded since October 2023 alone. Among these, 35 were tortured to death, mostly Gazans arrested during Israel’s ongoing onslaught. He described new facilities such as "Sdeh Teyman" as death camps operating without any legal oversight, where interrogators have been given full licence to use the most extreme forms of physical and psychological abuse, including sexual violence, leading to mass deaths in a matter of months.

The case of Dr Adnan Al-Borsh, a distinguished orthopaedic surgeon from Al-Shifa Hospital, stands as a chilling example. Arrested in December, he was subjected to months of savage torture at "Kishon" detention centre, ultimately dying in custody. His body, like those of many others, remains withheld by the Israeli authorities. Al-Ashqar also pointed to Israel’s own admission of 36 detainees killed at "Sdeh Teyman," although the true figure is believed to be far higher due to enforced disappearances, particularly among Gaza’s prisoners.

Beyond torture, deliberate medical neglect has claimed dozens of lives, including that of Walid Daqqa after 38 years behind bars, and 17-year-old Walid Ahmed, who died after being systematically starved under policies directed by far-right ministers. The environment within Israeli prisons, marked by starvation, disease, and abuse, continues to inflict lasting disabilities and death on hundreds more.

Al-Ashqar stressed that these are not isolated incidents but systematic war crimes that demand urgent international action. He called on human rights organisations and international courts to break their silence and hold Israeli leaders accountable for their crimes against Palestinian prisoners.