Palestinian man dies in Israeli prison from 'torture'

The General Authority of Civil Affairs announced on Thursday morning the death of detainee Ali Ashour Ali al-Batsh, 62, from Jabalia in northern Gaza, in Israel’s Naqab prison.

Al-Batsh, a father of six, was arrested by Israel on 25 December 2023 and died on 21 February 2025 at Soroka Hospital, days after being transferred from the prison reported the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

His death adds to the growing list of Palestinians dying in Israeli prisons. 

In a joint statement, the Commission of Prisoners' Affairs and the Prisoners' Club condemned Israel’s deliberate obfuscation of detainees’ fates, noting that families are often informed of deaths months after they occur.

Al-Batsh death brings the total number of detainee who died since the start of the war to 62, including at least 40 from Gaza.

This figure represents the bloodiest phase in the history of the prisoner movement since 1967, with 299 Palestinians known to have died and 71 bodies are still held by Israel, including 60 since the war began, reported Wafa. 

The statement accused Israel of employing systematic crimes such as "torture, starvation, medical neglect, sexual assault, and deliberate exposure to disease, alongside policies of theft and deprivation".