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Written by: المشرف العام

Category: Martyrs

Published: 04 June 2025

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June 1, 2025

Detainees of the Captive Movement

 

Today marks the 604th day of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, a war that has become one of the most brutal genocides in modern history. Nearly two million Palestinians in Gaza remain trapped under relentless bombardment, starvation, siege, and the looming threat of forced displacement. With no protection and no weapons, they stand alone against a ruthless occupying power, while the world watches in disgraceful silence. To date, this war has left behind almost 55,000 martyrs, over 130,000 injured, and more than two million forcibly displaced, and the bloodshed continues without pause.

Inside the prisons of the Israeli occupation, over 10,000 Palestinians are currently detained, including 45 women, more than 400 children, and approximately 3,577 administrative detainees held without charge or trial. Among them are at least 1,846 detainees from Gaza, classified under the unjust and illegal label of “unlawful combatants”, a designation created by Israeli law to justify indefinite detention of civilians without due process, without evidence, and without fair trial, based on so-called "secret files" withheld even from legal counsel. The exact number of Gaza’s detainees remains unknown due to Israel’s systematic practice of enforced disappearance.

This report exposes a grave and escalating crisis: the growing number of martyrs within the Palestinian Captive Movement, particularly since October 7, 2023. While the suffering of Palestinian detainees has been ongoing for decades, through torture, humiliation, and medical neglect, the post-October 7 period has seen an unprecedented surge in violence, cruelty, and death. Since the start of this war, 70 Palestinian detainees have been killed in Israeli custody, bringing the total number of detainees martyrs to 307. Since1967 to just before October 2023, the number of martyrs from the Captive Movement was 237, averaging four per year. In contrast, the past two years have seen a tenfold annual increase.

These martyrs have died under torture, starvation, sexual abuse, and deliberate medical neglect. Many were exposed to horrific conditions designed to weaken and slowly kill, including filthy, overcrowded cells that became breeding grounds for infectious diseases, such as scabies, and other chronic, untreated illnesses.

The findings in this report are based on verified information and official correspondence with Israeli authorities, who have repeatedly attempted to manipulate the truth by providing contradictory, misleading, and false data. They continue to withhold the bodies of martyrs and hide the circumstances of their deaths in an effort to erase evidence of their crimes.

Martyrs of the Captive Movement since 1967:

The number of martyrs from the Captive Movement has reached 307 as of the writing of this report, including 70 martyrs who died after the genocide war (October 7, 2023), representing 23% of the total number of martyrs in the Captive Movement.

This report will highlight the 70 detainee martyrs who died after October 7, 2023, as it is the most brutal period in the history of the captive movement, in order to shed light on the crimes committed by the occupation against our detainees, as outlined below.

Relative distribution of martyrs by region (after the October 7 war):

The chart above shows that the majority of martyrs, 44 in total, accounting for 63%, are from the Gaza Strip. The West Bank follows with 24 martyrs, representing 34% of the total (including one from Jerusalem). Meanwhile, 2 martyrs, 3%, are from the occupied territories within the 1948 borders.

Relative distribution of martyrs by the date of martyrdom (after the October 7 war):

As shown in the chart above, detainees' organizations reported the deaths of 5 detainees in 2023, accounting for 7% of the total. In 2024, the number rose sharply to 49, making up 70%, marking it as the deadliest year in the history of the captive movement. In the current year, up to the date of this report, 16 detainees have been declared martyred, representing 23%.

Note: The date of announcement does not necessarily coincide with the actual date of death. These announcements are typically based on official responses from Israeli occupation authorities, who are known to routinely obscure facts in an attempt to cover up their crimes.

Relative distribution of martyrs by age (after the October 7 war)

Based on the chart above and available data for 66 out of the 70 martyrs after October 7, the age distribution is as follows:

• Minors (ages 15–18): 3 martyrs, making up 4%.
• Young adults (ages 19–39): 28 martyrs, comprising the largest group at 39%.
• Adults (ages 40–59): 24 martyrs, accounting for 34%.
• Elderly (60 years and older): 11 martyrs, representing 23%.

This distribution underscores the severity of the occupation’s crimes against detainees, particularly minors and the elderly, who together represent around 27% of the total. This notably high percentage serves as a troubling indicator of the brutality directed toward the most physically vulnerable age groups inside prisons.

Relative distribution of the martyrs based on the duration between arrest and martyrdom (after the October 7 war):

Among the 47 documented cases out of 70 martyrs following October 7, the chart above reveals that 36% (17 detainees) died within the first 60 days of their arrest. This strongly suggests that they were subjected to severe torture, inhumane treatment, and systematic abuse during interrogation, ultimately leading to their deaths.

Additionally, 30% (14 detainees) lost their lives between two months and one year after being detained. The remaining 34% (16 detainees) were martyred after spending over a year in captivity. These figures reflect the prolonged and escalating brutality faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

Relative distribution of the martyrs by place of detention (after the October 7 war)

According to data available data on 39 out of the 70 martyrs who died after October 7, the most lethal detention centers were Ramla, Ofer, and Negev prisons, which alone were responsible for over half of the recorded deaths—21 martyrs, or 54%, with each facility accounting for 7 deaths (18%). This alarming concentration of deaths in specific prisons serves as a stark warning and a call to action for international human rights organizations to confront their obligations and hold the occupying authorities accountable.

Following these, Megiddo Prison recorded 5 deaths (13%), while Ramon, Sdeh Teiman, and Ashkelon prisons each witnessed 3 deaths (8%). The remaining deaths occurred across various other prisons, each contributing 1 martyr (3%). These figures expose a deeply rooted and systematic pattern of abuse and negligence within Israel’s prison system, demanding urgent international scrutiny and intervention.

Additional information:

• Of the 70 detainee martyrs who died after October 7, 2023, 17 were already suffering from injuries, chronic illnesses, or disabilities at the time of their arrest, accounting for 24% of the total. Among them were three cancer patients and one with kidney disease. These figures point to a deliberate policy of medical neglect, aimed at slow execution through systematic denial of treatment, an egregious violation of international humanitarian law.
• Included in the list of martyrs are four medical personnel, all from Gaza. This group comprises three physicians—Dr. Adnan Ahmad Atiya Al-Barsh, Dr. Iyad Ahmad Mohammad Al-Rantisi, and Dr. Ziyad Mohammad Saleh Al-Dalu—as well as a paramedic officer, Hamdan Hassan Anabah. All four were tortured to death, underscoring the brutal targeting of healthcare professionals by the occupying forces.
• Furthermore, 8 out of the 70 martyrs were held under administrative detention, imprisoned without formal charges or trial, making up 11% of the total. Their deaths highlight the deadly consequences of this unlawful and arbitrary detention policy.
• As of this report, the Israeli occupation continues to withhold the bodies of 79 martyred prisoners, including 68 of the 70 who died after October 7. This ongoing practice of body retention represents not only a violation of human dignity but also a cruel tactic of psychological warfare against the victims’ families.

We reaffirm that the findings in this report are derived from the limited information publicly available and from official statements issued by the occupation’s authorities. What remains concealed is likely far more horrific. This report does not imply that one prison is more brutal than another; rather, it exposes a cohesive system of repression—a single apparatus of violence governed by a unified policy of systematic abuse. The crime is the occupation itself.

The results presented here stand as a damning indictment of the international human rights and humanitarian community, which has failed miserably in its moral and legal obligations toward Palestinian prisoners. Since the launch of the genocidal war on October 7, 2023, not a single meaningful visit has been conducted to any Israeli prison, nor has the occupation been held accountable for its escalating crimes. International conventions that recognize prisoners of liberation movements have been willfully ignored.

In light of this utter inaction, we cannot help but question the credibility, independence, and integrity of these institutions. Their silence, neglect, and passivity raise serious concerns about their complicity—and their submission to the will of the occupying regime.

(End of Report)

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Written by: Sanaa

Category: Martyrs

Published: 28 May 2025

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Commission of Detainees’ Affairs

Since 1967, the number of martyrs from the Palestinian Captive Movement has risen to 307, including 44 from the Gaza Strip whose identities and details are documented.

The Commission strongly warns of the escalating and unprecedented danger facing thousands of Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons. The continuous rise in the number of martyrs reflects the brutal and systematic crimes committed against them, crimes that persist every hour of every day, under conditions that blatantly violate international humanitarian law.

#War_on_Gaza
#Martyrs_of_the_Captive_Movement

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Written by: Sanaa

Category: Martyrs

Published: 06 March 2025

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Elderly Palestinian Political Detainee Killed in Israeli Occupation’s Custody
6/3/2025

Commission of Detainees’ Affairs & the Palestinian Prisoner's Society

Ramallah, Palestine - Israeli occupation authorities have disclosed the martyrdom of a 62-year-old Palestinian male detainee in their custody two weeks after his death: Ali Ashour Ali al-Batsh, who was abducted from the occupied Gaza Strip 14 months ago.

The Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs was informed only today, March 6, 2025, that al-Batsh lost his life on February 21. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) and the Commission of Detainees' Affairs subsequently informed his family.

Al-Batsh, who is a husband and father to six children, was abducted by occupation forces on December 12, 2023. He lost his life days after he was transferred from the occupation’s Naqab prison where he was being held, to the Soroka Hospital.

Al-Batsh is the latest Palestinian political prisoner to be killed by the occupation in its custody. The rate and frequency of killings of Palestinian detainees is unprecedented, particularly since the genocide in Gaza. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society and the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs affirm once again that the Israeli occupation holds full responsibility for the murder of al-Batsh and dozens of other detainees in its custody - some of whom were tortured to death - and must be held accountable for these crimes.

Al-Batsh is the fourth Palestinian detainee to be martyred in just over a week. With his killing, the number of identified martyred Palestinian detainees since the start of the genocide on October 7, 2023, to 62 people, at least 40 of whom were abducted from the occupied Gaza Strip. As a result, the number of identified martyred Palestinian detainees since the occupation of 1967 has risen to 299 people. Additionally, the number of martyred detainees whose bodies are still being withheld by the occupation has risen to 71 people, including 60 people since the genocide.

The occupation army only responds sporadically and arbitrarily to legal requests for information, and often uses the pretext of an ‘ongoing investigation’ to evade accountability, and to torture Palestinians both physically and mentally as a matter of policy. The Israeli army is the only official side able to reveal the fate of martyred Palestinian detainees since there is no evidence of their killing with the army continuing to withhold their bodies.

The Commission and the PPS stress that the rate of Palestinian detainees losing their lives is unprecedented and will only increase with time. Thousands of Palestinians are held behind bars undergoing a myriad of severe violations including torture, starvation, sexual assault, deprivation of medical treatment, unsanitary conditions leading grave and infectious diseases. The international community must act now to save the lives of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli custody.

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Written by: Sanaa

Category: Martyrs

Published: 03 March 2025

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Palestinian political detainee from Jenin camp - held without trial or charge - killed in occupation's prison
3/3/2025

Commission of Detainees' Affairs & Palestinian Prisoners' Society

Ramallah, Palestine - Israeli occupation authorities have disclosed the killing of a 40-year-old Palestinian political detainee from the Jenin refugee camp last week, who was being held in their Megiddo prison. The Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs was informed only this morning that the detainee Khaled Mahmoud Qassem Abdullah was martyred more than a week ago, on February 23.

The details of his killing remain unclear as occupation authorities continue to impose a lethal information blackout on the prisoners. Nevertheless, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) and the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs affirm that the Israeli occupation bears full responsibility for the killing of Khaled Abdullah and all other prisoners who were martyred in a myriad of horrific ways including sexual torture and rape.

Khaled Abdullah was arrested by occupation forces on November 9, 2023, and had been held since then under Israel’s notorious ‘administrative detention’ policy, without trial or charge. He was married and a father to four children. Two of Khaled’s brothers, Shadi and Iyad Abdullah, are also being held in Israel’s military prison system without trial or charge.

Khaled Abdullah is the latest Palestinian political detainee to be murdered by Israeli prison authorities and guards – whether directly or indirectly. He is the third Palestinian political prisoner to be killed within the span of the past week, bringing the number of identified martyred detainees since the start of the genocide to 61 people. At least 40 people of those were arrested from Gaza.

Since the start of the genocide, the rate of prisoners being killed inside the occupation’s prisons and military camps is unprecedented. Dozens more have been killed with the occupation refusing to reveal their fate or identities, leaving countless families in fear and psychological torture.

The total number of identified martyred detainees since the occupation of 1967 is 298 people. Additionally, the number of martyred prisoners whose bodies are being withheld by the occupation has risen to 70 people, 59 of whom have been abducted since the start of the genocide.

The occupation army only responds sporadically and arbitrarily to legal requests for information, and often uses the pretext of an ‘ongoing investigation’ to evade accountability, and to torture Palestinians both physically and mentally as a matter of policy. The Israeli army is the only official side able to reveal the fate of martyred Palestinian detainees since there is no evidence of their killing with the army continuing to withhold their bodies.

The Commission and the PPS stress that the rate of Palestinian detainees losing their lives is unprecedented and will only increase with time. Thousands of Palestinians are held behind bars undergoing a myriad of severe violations including torture, starvation, sexual assault, deprivation of medical treatment, unsanitary conditions leading grave and infectious diseases. The international community must act now to save the lives of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli custody and prevent them from being murdered

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Written by: Sanaa

Category: Martyrs

Published: 26 February 2025

Hits: 283

■ Palestinian political detainee killed in Israeli occupation’s custody

26/2/2025
Commission of Detainees' Affairs & Palestinian Prisoners' Society

Ramallah, Palestine - Israeli occupation authorities have disclosed the killing of Palestinian political detainee Raafat Abu Fanouneh in their custody. Occupation authorities informed the Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs that Abu Fanouneh lost his life today, on February 26, 2025.

Raafat Adnan Abdulaziz Abu Fanouneh is a 34-year-old husband and father who was abducted by the occupation army from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. He did not have any pre-existing health issues. The circumstances and manner in which he was killed remain unclear because occupation authorities have imposed an information blackout on the prisoners.

Abu Fanouneh was being held at the Ramla Prison and was recently transferred to the occupation’s Assaf Harofeh Hospital where he was announced dead. He was wounded by soldiers during his arrest, and his brother Shadi was also taken along with him. Occupation authorities refused to allow any lawyer visits to Abu Fanouneh during his time in detention, leaving his family in the dark for 16 months, before learning that he lost his life today. Since October 7, 2023, family visits have been completely halted.

Abu Fanouneh is the latest Palestinian to be killed in the occupation’s prisons and military camps in obscure ways that the Israeli army continues to conceal. With Abu Fanouneh, there have been 60 identified Palestinian political detainees who have been killed in custody since the start of the genocide in October 2023, at least 39 of them arrested from Gaza. Dozens more have been killed with the occupation refusing to reveal their fate or identities, leaving countless families in fear and psychological torture. The total number of identified martyred detainees since the occupation of 1967 is 297 people. The rate of killings in prisons and military camps is the highest historically.

The occupation army only responds sporadically and arbitrarily to legal requests for information, and often uses the pretext of an ‘ongoing investigation’ to evade accountability, and to torture Palestinians both physically and mentally as a matter of policy. The Israeli army is the only official side able to reveal the fate of martyred Palestinian detainees since there is no evidence of their killing with the army continuing to withhold their bodies.

The Commission and the PPS stress that the rate of Palestinian detainees losing their lives is unprecedented and will only increase with time. Thousands of Palestinians are held behind bars undergoing a myriad of severe violations including torture, starvation, sexual assault, deprivation of medical treatment, unsanitary conditions leading grave and infectious diseases. The international community must act now to save the lives of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli custody.