Palestinian Teenager Dies in Israeli Jail After Prolonged Detention
Walid Ahmad, 17, succumbed to health complications after being held without charge for six months in an Israeli prison.
A 17-year-old Palestinian boy from the West Bank, Walid Ahmad, has died after being held without charge in an Israeli prison for six months.
According to Palestinian officials, Ahmad collapsed under unclear circumstances, prompting immediate concern regarding his health prior to his death.
Ahmad was arrested last September on allegations of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.
His family contends that he was a healthy high school student at the time of his arrest.
His father, Khalid Ahmad, expressed distress over his son’s declining health during four court appearances conducted via video link, noting visible signs of malnutrition.
Reports from Ahmad's family indicate that he may have contracted amoebic dysentery due to inadequate prison conditions.
This infection, which can lead to severe gastrointestinal distress, is potentially life-threatening if not properly treated.
Witness accounts provided to his lawyer, Firas al-Jabrini, stated that three prisoners detained alongside Ahmad reported that dysentery was prevalent among youth in the facility.
In a recent statement, Thaer Shriteh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority's detainee commission, indicated that Ahmad collapsed and struck his head on a metal rod, losing consciousness.
He criticized the prison administration for failing to respond adequately to requests for urgent medical assistance.
In response to Ahmad's death, the Israeli Prison Service announced that an investigation was underway, stating, "A 17-year-old security detainee from Megiddo prison, from the West Bank area, passed away yesterday in the prison, with his medical condition being under privacy protection."
The ongoing conflict has led to significant escalations in detentions.
According to Palestinian figures, over 14,000 Palestinians have been detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Many of those detained are held in administrative detention based on undisclosed evidence, a practice criticized by human rights advocates.
Israel asserts that individuals in this category are suspected of engaging in militant activities or posing a threat to military personnel.
Human rights organizations have raised concerns about alleged abuses in Israeli detention facilities.
Reports indicate that the Israeli ministry overseeing prisons acknowledges that conditions within these facilities have been reduced to the minimum standard legally permissible.
Walid Ahmad's death marks him as the 63rd Palestinian prisoner from the West Bank or Gaza to die while in Israeli custody since the onset of the war, and he is noted as the first Palestinian teenager to succumb during detention, according to officials from the Palestinian Authority.
Oneg Ben Dror, a representative from the Jaffa-based NGO Physicians for Human Rights Israel, called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding deaths of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, urging the international community to hold Israel accountable.
The phenomenon of imprisonment has been described by Palestinians as a significant element of Israel's long-standing occupation, with estimates suggesting that up to 40% of Palestinian men have faced arrest at least once.
According to Palestinian officials, Ahmad collapsed under unclear circumstances, prompting immediate concern regarding his health prior to his death.
Ahmad was arrested last September on allegations of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.
His family contends that he was a healthy high school student at the time of his arrest.
His father, Khalid Ahmad, expressed distress over his son’s declining health during four court appearances conducted via video link, noting visible signs of malnutrition.
Reports from Ahmad's family indicate that he may have contracted amoebic dysentery due to inadequate prison conditions.
This infection, which can lead to severe gastrointestinal distress, is potentially life-threatening if not properly treated.
Witness accounts provided to his lawyer, Firas al-Jabrini, stated that three prisoners detained alongside Ahmad reported that dysentery was prevalent among youth in the facility.
In a recent statement, Thaer Shriteh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority's detainee commission, indicated that Ahmad collapsed and struck his head on a metal rod, losing consciousness.
He criticized the prison administration for failing to respond adequately to requests for urgent medical assistance.
In response to Ahmad's death, the Israeli Prison Service announced that an investigation was underway, stating, "A 17-year-old security detainee from Megiddo prison, from the West Bank area, passed away yesterday in the prison, with his medical condition being under privacy protection."
The ongoing conflict has led to significant escalations in detentions.
According to Palestinian figures, over 14,000 Palestinians have been detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Many of those detained are held in administrative detention based on undisclosed evidence, a practice criticized by human rights advocates.
Israel asserts that individuals in this category are suspected of engaging in militant activities or posing a threat to military personnel.
Human rights organizations have raised concerns about alleged abuses in Israeli detention facilities.
Reports indicate that the Israeli ministry overseeing prisons acknowledges that conditions within these facilities have been reduced to the minimum standard legally permissible.
Walid Ahmad's death marks him as the 63rd Palestinian prisoner from the West Bank or Gaza to die while in Israeli custody since the onset of the war, and he is noted as the first Palestinian teenager to succumb during detention, according to officials from the Palestinian Authority.
Oneg Ben Dror, a representative from the Jaffa-based NGO Physicians for Human Rights Israel, called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding deaths of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, urging the international community to hold Israel accountable.
The phenomenon of imprisonment has been described by Palestinians as a significant element of Israel's long-standing occupation, with estimates suggesting that up to 40% of Palestinian men have faced arrest at least once.
