Another Palestinian detainee from Gaza dies in Israeli custody

ISTANBUL

Another Palestinian detainee from Gaza died in an Israeli hospital on Sunday, prisoners’ affairs groups said.

Ashraf Fakhri Abu Warda, 51, breathed his last at Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Beersheba, two days after he was transferred from the Negev Desert Prison in southern Israel, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

His family said that Abu Warda, who was detained by Israeli army forces in Gaza on Nov. 20, 2023, had no known health issues before his detention.

His death brought the number of Palestinians who died in Israeli custody since Oct. 7, 2023, to 50, according to Palestinian figures.

"This marks the highest death toll among Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody since 1967," the statement added.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed over 45,500 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Tel Aviv has imposed a stifling blockade on Gaza, leaving the territory’s 2.3 million population on the verge of famine.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi