Palestinians die during Shin Bet interrogations as concerns over torture mount

At least four Palestinians, including a prominent doctor, have died during interrogations by Israel’s Shin Bet security service over the past year, raising fresh concerns about the agency’s interrogation methods and lack of accountability.

Dr Iyad Al-Rantisi, director of the women’s hospital in Beit Lahia, was one of the doctors killed while under Shin Bet custody. He died six days after being taken from Gaza in November and held in Ashkelon Prison. Investigations into Al-Rantisi’s killing revealed signs of torture on his body, though Israeli authorities claim he died of a heart attack. The investigation has raised suspicions that torture may have contributed to his death, leading to an inquiry into prison service personnel.

The Shin Bet and its investigation unit have refused to disclose the identities of the other three individuals who died, or specify whether they were from Gaza or the West Bank. The Israeli attorney general has already ruled out criminal investigations in two cases, claiming there was “no justification,” while investigations reportedly continue in the other two cases, Arab sources reported.

The Israel Prison Service disclosed that 11 Palestinian detainees died between 7 October and July in the Jalameh and Ashkelon prisons, where Shin Bet maintains interrogation facilities. However, the dates of these deaths differ from those previously reported to Israeli media.

These deaths occur against a backdrop of long-standing concerns about the Shin Bet’s use of torture. A report by Mondoweiss found that the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel found that since 2001, approximately 1,200 complaints have been filed alleging violence during Shin Bet interrogations, yet none has resulted in criminal indictments.

Human rights organisations estimate that it takes around 39 months for each complaint to be processed, involving only statements from the complainant and interrogator, as the Shin Bet does not maintain records of interrogation tactics. Between 2001 and 2014, over 850 torture complaints were submitted to the attorney general, none of which were investigated.

The Shin Bet’s operations are governed by classified policies that have never been examined by an independent body. While a 1999 Israeli High Court ruling prohibited “physical pressure” except in “ticking time bomb” scenarios, human rights groups argue this exception has been broadly interpreted and abused.

B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation, reports that Palestinians undergoing Shin Bet interrogations are often held in “inhuman conditions”, including windowless cells and exposure to extreme temperatures. A notable case in 2019 involved Palestinian suspect Samer Arbid who was hospitalised with multiple broken ribs and kidney failure following Shin Bet interrogation, though subsequent investigations found no wrongdoing by the agency.

The situation has led to growing criticism of the oversight system. Legal expert Tal Steiner wrote in Haaretz that the current system effectively tells Shin Bet interrogators that “regardless of the violence used or its results, the system will defend you.”

The recent deaths have renewed calls for independent oversight of the security service, whose interrogation methods have remained largely unchanged. The lack of transparency and accountability in investigating deaths in custody continues to raise serious concerns about Israel’s commitment to human rights and the rule of law.

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