'Israel' carried out secret surgeries on Palestinian detainees, including child
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- Rights group says teen detainee remains in critical condition.
- 15-year-old underwent heart surgery without family.
- Another detainee reportedly underwent leg amputation.
- Group accuses 'Israel' of medical neglect and abuse.
The Palestinian Prisoner's Society issued a statement on Thursday holding 'Israeli' authorities and the 'Israel' Prison Service fully responsible for the health of 15-year-old Palestinian detainee Mohammad Mousa Suleiman Hmeid, following a severe health breakdown that led to open-heart surgery.
Hmeid, a resident of Bethlehem who has been held in pretrial detention since February 2026, underwent the procedure at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem without his family being permitted to visit or see him.
Critical condition
According to the statement, Hmeid had been held at Ofer Prison prior to his emergency transfer to the hospital.
His family has been forced to rely exclusively on legal counsel and human rights organizations for information regarding his condition.
The family stated that Hmeid suffered from no known pre-existing health issues before his arrest in February.
After being alerted by a human rights group about the impending surgery, the family confirmed that available details indicate his condition remains critical and demands continuous intensive medical care.
Shooting, leg amputation
The Palestinian Prisoner's Society highlighted a second severe case involving 30-year-old Malek Hani Jibril, also from Bethlehem.
Jibril underwent surgery resulting in the amputation of his right leg after being shot by 'Israeli' forces near Checkpoint 300 earlier this month and subsequently arrested while injured.
The society held 'Israeli' authorities directly responsible for the health deterioration while in custody that necessitated the amputation.
Warns of systematic medical neglect
The cases of Hmeid and Jibril demonstrate the widespread conditions endured by thousands of Palestinian detainees, the society stated, identifying limb amputations as a growing crisis among wounded prisoners who were shot immediately prior to their detention.
The Palestinian Prisoner's Society accused 'Israeli' prison authorities of systematic practices, including:
- Denial of appropriate medical treatment to sick and injured detainees.
- Subjecting prisoners to medical neglect, abuse, and starvation.
- Operating under severe prison conditions that cause healthy individuals to develop long-term illnesses due to torture and deprivation.
Concluding its statement, the organisation renewed its urgent appeal to the international community, the United Nations, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene immediately to ensure proper medical care for sick and wounded Palestinian prisoners and halt systemic abuses across detention facilities.
