Palestinians killed in 'Israeli' prisons rises to 60 since Oct. 7

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club announced on Wednesday the martyrdom of detainee Rafat Abu Fanouna from Gaza, bringing the total number of martyrs among Palestinian detainees in "Israeli" prisons to 60.

In an official statement, the club explained that Abu Fanouna, 34 years old, had been detained since Oct. 7, 2023, along with his brother Shadi. He sustained serious injuries during his arrest, and his fate was kept hidden, with no visits allowed during his detention.

According to the Prisoners' Club, Abu Fanouna was recently transferred from Ayalon Prison to "Assaf Harofeh" hospital, where his death was later announced. The statement confirmed that he had no health problems prior to his arrest and injury. He was married and had one child.

On Tuesday, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club also announced the death of prisoner Musab Haniyeh from Gaza.

The statement further noted that with the martyrdom of Abu Fanouna, the number of martyrs among the detainees in "Israeli" prisons since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza has reached 60, including 39 from Gaza. This is the highest number of martyrs among detainees since 1967.

The statement emphasized that this period represents the bloodiest in the history of the prisoners' movement, with the total number of known martyrs among Palestinian political prisoners since 1967 reaching 297, in addition to dozens of bodies still held under "enforced disappearance" by the occupation.

In a joint statement, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the Palestinian Authority's Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission described Abu Fanouna's martyrdom as "a new crime in the record of the "Israeli" brutal system."

They noted that "Israel" intentionally manipulates the revelation of the fates of detainees and martyrs, offering vague responses aimed at evading international accountability.

They also stated that the treatment of political prisoners and detainees is another form of genocide, aiming to carry out more executions and assassinations.

The Commission and the Prisoners' Club stressed that the rate of martyrdom among detainees will continue to rise as long as thousands remain in inhumane conditions, including torture, starvation, sexual assaults, denial of medical care, and deliberate infliction of severe diseases.

In conclusion, the Commission and the Prisoners' Club held "Israel" fully responsible for the martyrdom of Abu Fanouna, and called on the international community and human rights organizations to take effective actions to hold the leaders of the occupation accountable for ongoing war crimes against the Palestinian people.

They urged international sanctions to restore the role of the international legal system and end the exceptional immunity enjoyed by "Israel".