2 Palestinians die in Israeli prisons

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Two Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli jails, according to prisoners’ affairs groups on Friday.

In a joint statement, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and the Palestinian Prisoners Society confirmed the deaths of Samih Aliwi, 61, from Nablus in the occupied West Bank and Anwar Aslim, 44, from Gaza.

Aliwi, who had been held on administrative detention since Oct. 21, 2023, died on Nov. 6, 2024 six days after being transferred from the Ramla prison clinic to the Israeli Saveroff Hospital.

Aslim, meanwhile, died on Thursday. His health declined during a transfer from the Negev prison to Soroka Hospital.

The Palestinian groups condemned the deaths, calling them part of a “broader, systematic policy of slow death and abuse by the Israeli prison system.”

Hamas also condemned the deaths, which it said reflected Israel's “increasing crimes against Palestinian prisoners” and an extension of its "slow death" policy.

It demanded immediate action to protect Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails from further harm.

Aliwi and Aslim's deaths bring the number of known Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli custody to 280 since 1967, while the identity and cause of death of dozens more remain undisclosed by Israeli authorities.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, at least 43 prisoners have died in Israeli jails, according to Palestinian institutions.

As of early November, there were over 10,200 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, with many others from Gaza subjected to enforced disappearances.

Israel has continued its devastating offensive against Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The onslaught has killed more than 43,700 people and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi