Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons are enduring what human rights groups call a campaign of “slow execution” through medical neglect, starvation, and torture—a reality that has only worsened since 7 October 2023.

At least 66 prisoners have died in Israeli custody during the ongoing war, including more than 40 from Gaza. Hundreds more remain forcibly disappeared, with their whereabouts unknown and their families left in anguish.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society has reported severe outbreaks of illness in Nafha Prison, including vomiting, exhaustion, abdominal pain, and a spreading epidemic of scabies—linked directly to poor conditions and the denial of basic hygiene supplies. Detainees are being held in increasingly inhumane circumstances, with minimal access to medical care, food, or legal support.

Abdullah al-Zaghari, head of the Society, stated on Saturday that thousands of detainees are being systematically tortured in Israeli detention camps, some of which have become de facto “torture sites.” One of the most harrowing cases involves Abbas al-Sayyid, a political leader imprisoned since 2002, now held in isolation in Ramon Prison, reportedly suffering from untreated infections, malnutrition, and daily shackling in painful positions.

As of May 2025, nearly 9,900 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israeli jails, including around 400 children and 29 women. These figures do not include the thousands of detainees from Gaza who were forcibly disappeared and have yet to be accounted for.

Despite mounting evidence and eyewitness accounts, Israeli authorities continue to deny allegations of systematic abuse, insisting that detention conditions comply with domestic legal standards. Meanwhile, the international community faces growing pressure to intervene and hold Israel accountable for violations of international law and basic human rights.