A Palestinian detainee from Gaza has died while in Israeli custody, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS) reported on Monday. In a joint statement, the organisations confirmed that the Israeli occupation authorities had informed them of the death of Mus’ab Hani Haniyeh, 35, on 5 January.
Haniyeh, a father to a nine-year-old child, was arrested in Hamad City on 3 March last year. According to the statement, he had no known serious health conditions prior to his detention.
The organisations stated that Haniyeh’s death brought the total number of Palestinian detainees who have died due to systematic torture in Israeli custody since the start of the ongoing Israeli assault to 59, including at least 38 from the Gaza Strip. They further noted that the total number of detainee deaths since 1967 has now reached 296.
They emphasised that the actual toll could be higher, as the identities of some detainees remain concealed, and many from Gaza who have died in Israeli custody are forcibly disappeared.
Condemning Haniyeh’s death as yet another crime against Palestinian detainees, the Commission and the PPS said that Israel’s treatment of prisoners, including torture and inhumane conditions, is part of its broader campaign of oppression. They voiced deep concern over the rising number of deaths in Israeli custody, warning that thousands of Palestinian detainees are subjected to brutal conditions, including torture, starvation, sexual violence and deliberate exposure to contagious diseases.
According to Wafa news agency, the joint statement held Israel fully responsible for Haniyeh’s death and called on international human rights organisations to take decisive action to hold Israeli leaders accountable for crimes against the Palestinian people.
The PPS reports that more than 10,000 Palestinian prisoners remain in Israeli custody, not including the hundreds of Gaza detainees who have been forcibly disappeared.
A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement took effect last month, temporarily halting Israel’s genocide, which has claimed nearly 48,350 lives, predominantly women and children, while devastating the Gaza Strip.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war against Palestinians in the enclave.
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