A new report by Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHRI) says nearly 100 Palestinians have died in Israeli detention since the start of the Gaza war, raising serious concerns about widespread abuse, harsh conditions and medical neglect in prisons and detention centres. The findings align with an Associated Press investigation that interviewed former guards, medical staff, detainees and their families, and reviewed available autopsies and data.
PHRI documented 98 deaths between October 2023 and early November 2025 — a dramatic increase compared to fewer than 30 deaths in the entire decade before the war. The group says the true toll is likely much higher given the lack of transparency about the thousands detained during the conflict. Israel’s prison population has more than doubled to around 11,000 people since the war began, mostly detainees from Gaza and the West Bank.
A former guard at the Sde Teiman military prison, long criticized for its treatment of Palestinian detainees, described routine beatings, chaining of prisoners, and conditions so severe the facility was nicknamed a “graveyard.” He said guards were told to reduce the number of deaths, yet described detainees dying in plain sight with little reaction from staff. The media also spoke with former medical workers, an Israeli doctor who treated starving prisoners, and families of detainees who died in custody.
PHRI’s report — based on interviews with former detainees and staff, doctors’ observations at autopsies, and data obtained through freedom-of-information requests — concludes that systematic violence and lack of medical care contributed to many of the deaths.
Israeli authorities say they operate within the law. The Prison Service declined to comment on the death toll, while the Israeli army acknowledged that some detainees have died, citing preexisting health issues and wartime injuries. It said allegations of abuse are evaluated, and soldiers who violate conduct rules may face disciplinary action or criminal charges.
Human rights advocates say the rapid rise in deaths shows a system that has “lost all moral and professional restraint.” Despite international pressure, rights groups argue that conditions remain dire as reports of abuse continue to emerge from Israel’s military detention network.
