Israeli rights group reports 98 Palestinian deaths in prisons since 2023

An Israeli human rights organization has reported that at least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023. Physicians for Human Rights–Israel published findings Monday detailing deaths occurring between October 2023 and November 2025, with the report based on official documents, autopsy reports, and testimonies from medical staff and released detainees. The organization alleges Israel has systematically concealed both the causes of death and the actual number of fatalities.

Allegations of Systematic Neglect and Violence

The report identifies what it describes as a deliberate policy of medical neglect and violent treatment toward Palestinian detainees. Oneg Ben Dror, a coordinator with the organization, stated that "the unprecedented toll, together with extensive findings and evidence of deaths caused by torture and medical neglect, points to a deliberate Israeli policy of killing Palestinians in custody." The documented fatalities include 52 detainees from Gaza, with the report excluding seven additional cases of Palestinians allegedly executed shortly after arrest.

Medical Evidence and Documentation

Autopsy reports examined by the rights group revealed physical violence indicators in nearly half of the cases reviewed, including head injuries, internal bleeding, and rib fractures. Medical documentation also showed instances of extreme malnutrition, denial of insulin to diabetic patients, untreated cancer cases, and life-threatening infections. These findings align with previous documentation of hunger, dehydration, and prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures in Israeli detention facilities over the past two years.

Context and Official Response

The report emerges amid ongoing regional tensions following Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which resulted in approximately 69,000 fatalities according to the article. The rights organization dedicated significant attention to describing methods allegedly used by Israeli authorities to obscure causes of death and prevent families from learning the circumstances of their relatives' deaths. Neither the Israel Prison Service nor the military provided immediate comment on the report's allegations.