British News Agency

PHRI data reported by The Guardian on Monday shows that most of those who died in custody were civilians subjected to systematic and widespread torture and ill-treatment.

The causes of death range from physical violence to medical neglect and malnutrition.

Of the total deaths, 52 occurred in military custody, all of them Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) recorded 46 deaths: 17 from Gaza, 26 from the West Bank, and the rest Palestinian citizens or residents of Israel.

PHRI compiled its findings from forensic reports, professional assessments, eyewitness testimonies, relatives of detainees, and official information requests.

According to the report, Israeli prison authorities provided detailed data only for the first eight months of the more than two-year-long Gaza war. These data indicate a significant mortality rate — on average one death every four days.

The Israeli army last updated its death figures in May 2024, and IPS last recorded a death in September 2024.

Since then, PHRI researchers have identified 35 additional cases of Palestinian detainees who died in custody and confirmed them with Israeli authorities.

However, the organization estimates that the real number is likely far higher, particularly given the hundreds of missing Palestinians from Gaza.

Before Monday’s report, over 80 detainee deaths had been confirmed.