The report, which is well-documented, precise and thoroughly argued, is unusually severe in its criticism of Israeli authorities, who are accused of «systematic violations of human rights» in detention centers since the war in Gaza began. At least 98 Palestinians of all ages died in detention in Israel since October 7, 2023, according to findings released on Monday, November 17, by the non-governmental organization Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI). The authors of the report consider this a minimum estimate, given the number of missing Palestinians. «To this day, the fate and whereabouts of hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza who were taken by the Israeli military between October 2023 and April 2024 remain unknown,» notes the Israeli NGO, which has brought together healthcare professionals involved in human rights advocacy since 1988. «The findings also substantiate grave concerns that the actual number of Palestinians who have died in Israeli custody is significantly higher, particularly among those detained from Gaza,» the report’s authors warn.
Confronted with the opacity of Israel’s military and security administration, PHRI filed multiple legal appeals to obtain administrative documents and individual information on detainees, whom Israel classified as «unlawful combatants» and subjected to even stricter regimes than those typically applied to Palestinian prisoners. The organization relied on the work of other NGOs that provide legal support to families to gather testimony, medical records and data. The findings show an unprecedented increase in deaths. «By comparison, in the 10 years preceding October 2023, fewer than 30 Palestinians died in Israeli custody,» the NGO writes.
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