Tel Aviv [Israel], November 18 : At least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since October 2023, and the real number is likely higher, CNN reported, citing Israel-based rights group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI )'s new report.
The group claimed the death toll is almost certainly undercounted because many people detained in Gaza are still unaccounted for.
The report by Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHRI) is based on official Israeli records and data obtained through freedom of information requests, which it cross-referenced with forensic reports, interviews with family members and lawyers, testimonies from detained Palestinians, information published by other human rights groups and other individual inquiries to locate specific detained persons.
According to the report, Palestinians died in custody due to physical violence, medical neglect,
PHRI found that 46 Palestinians died in the custody of the Israel Prison Service since the outbreak of the war and that at least 52 Palestinians -- all from Gaza -- died in Israeli military custody, as per CNN.
Further, the report noted that the "fate of hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza detained by the Israeli military remains unknown to this day, suggesting that the true number of deaths is likely significantly higher than those documented here."
In the early days of the war, Israeli authorities stopped providing information to the Red Cross about Palestinians in custody and blocked access to detention facilities.
The last publicly available data from the Israeli military on deaths in detention dates back to May 2024, while the Israel Prison Service (IPS) last released figures in September 2024. Since then, PHRI has documented additional deaths using firsthand testimonies and official responses to requests submitted by the Palestinian Authority, according to CNN.
When asked about the allegations in the report, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) said that it "operates in accordance with the law" and that "all inmates are held according to legal procedures, and their rights, including access to medical care, hygiene and adequate living conditions are upheld by professionally trained staff." It added that it does not comment on figures or allegations presented by outside organisations.
"The claims described do not reflect the conduct or procedures of the Israel Prison Service, and we are not aware of the incidents as presented," the IPS said.