Palestinian administrative detainee dies in 'Israel's' custody

A 60-year-old Palestinian detainee, Muhyi al-Din Najm, died in 'Israeli' custody after being transferred to Soroka Medical Center, two Palestinian rights groups said on Sunday.

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said Najm, from Jenin, had been held under administrative detention since August 8, 2023, and had spent a total of about 19 years in 'Israeli' prisons.

The groups accused 'Israeli' prison authorities of medical negligence, claiming Najm was denied treatment for chronic illnesses and subjected to conditions they described as part of a “systematic policy” of abuse against Palestinian detainees.

No comment has been issued by 'Israeli' authorities on the circumstances of his death.

Najm, a father of six, was reportedly in critical health and received no medical care during his detention. The statement also said his prolonged administrative detention without trial amounted to a "compound crime."

Fatah, the party led by President Mahmoud Abbas, called his death “a deliberate execution,” blaming 'Israeli' prison authorities for denying him medical care despite his serious condition.

Human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over the treatment of sick Palestinian detainees in 'Israeli' prisons, particularly those held without charge under administrative detention.