New Israeli data released on Monday reveals a dramatic increase in deaths among Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons since far-right politician Itamar Ben‑Gvir assumed the post of National Security Minister. According to the Israeli news outlet Walla, a total of 110 Palestinian prisoners died during Ben-Gvir’s roughly two-and-a-half-year tenure — a figure nearly double the 187 deaths recorded over four decades (1967–2007).
The surge follows a recent report by 12 Israeli human-rights organizations documenting 98 Palestinian deaths in detention since the outbreak of war in Gaza. These organizations attribute the fatalities to torture, denial of medical care, and inhumane detention conditions — suggesting a systemic pattern rather than isolated incidents.
Their findings also highlight a sharp rise in administrative detentions: the number of Palestinians held without charge or trial reportedly jumped from around 1,000 in 2023 to 3,577 in 2025.
According to Walla, as of October 2025 Israeli forces were detaining approximately 11,000 Palestinians, and despite a recent prisoner-exchange deal, at least 10,000 remain in custody.
Meanwhile, a report from the Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI) paints a grim picture of detention conditions since October 2023: widespread neglect of medical care, violence, severe overcrowding, starvation, and other abuses — conditions that PHRI warns likely contributed to many of the recent deaths.
