Israel admits torture of Palestine prisoner led to his death

The Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs announced today that evidence and testimony confirm the torture inflicted on Palestinian prisoner Abdul-Rahman Marei by Israeli prison guards on 7 November resulted to his death six days later.

The commission emphasised that the latest irrefutable proof of this incident was revealed during a court session in Hadera, where the Israeli occupation authorities’ representative confessed to the crime in the presence of a legal team from the commission.

The representative disclosed that 33-year-old Abdul-Rahman from the village of Qarawa Bani Zeid, near Salfit, was severely beaten and assaulted by a group of Israeli prison guards following a dispute with one of them in the Megiddo Prison in northern Israel.

She added that essential medical care was neglected and he only received an examination at the detainees’ clinic, which revealed significant injuries to his face, upper body – particularly the abdomen – and identified a lung disorder.

Moreover, despite his deteriorating condition and excessive bleeding, the Israeli prison authorities proceeded to transfer him to solitary confinement, where he died on 13 November.

The commission asserted that the Israeli occupation authorities will conduct a reevaluation of Marei’s remains, explaining that the initial forensic doctor’s report lacked clarity regarding the circumstances of his death. Consequently, a definitive report outlining the causes of death is set to be prepared for a scheduled session on 25 January.

WATCH: Israeli soldiers torture Palestinian detainees

The revelation comes a month after the Israeli occupation authorities confirmed the involvement of 19 Israeli prison guards in the brutal beating of a Palestinian prisoner, Thayer Abu Assab, which ultimately led to his death on 18 November.

As many as seven Palestinian prisoners have died in detention since 7 October, including one from Gaza who has not been identified, reported Wafa news agency.

There are now more than 7,800 Palestinians being held in Israel’s prisons, including more than 2,870 administrative detainees who are held without charge or trial, and 260 classified as “unlawful combatants” from Gaza. The number may be higher because Israel doesn’t release the details of all the Palestinians it has imprisoned.