Gaza: Hamas accused Israel on Thursday of systematically abusing Palestinian prisoners following the deaths of two detainees from the Gaza Strip in Israeli prisons. ‘The martyrdom of prisoners Mohammed Sharif Al-Asali and Ibrahim Ashour in the occupation’s prisons once again confirms the criminal brutality of Israel in dealing with detainees and its disregard for all humanitarian values and international laws,’ spokesman Abdel Latif Al-Qanou said in a statement. He contrasted Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees with how Hamas handles Israeli prisoners, saying Palestinian resistance groups abide by international laws and ethical principles. Al-Qanou urged human rights organizations to act urgently to protect Palestinian detainees from ‘Israel’s sadistic and racist policies.’
According to Anadolu Agency, three Palestinian prisoner rights organizations — the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoner Society, and the Addameer Association for Prisoner Care and Human Rights — confirmed Wednesday the deaths of Al-Asali, 35, and Ashour, 25. They said Israel’s military informed them of the deaths on May 17 and June 23, respectively. Both were from Gaza.
Al-Asali was arrested from the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City during Israel’s March offensive and later transferred to Israel’s Ashkelon Prison. Ashour was detained Feb. 14 from the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. He had no preexisting health conditions, according to the statement.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, at least 58 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody, including 37 from Gaza, marking the deadliest period for Palestinian prisoners since 1967, the statement added. Rights groups warn that the true toll may be higher due to dozens of Gazan detainees subjected to enforced disappearance in Israeli prisons.
The statement highlighted that the overall number of Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli custody since 1967 stands at 295, making the period the most violent for prisoners in Palestinian history. The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst-ever global humanitarian disasters.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.