In Israel today, few issues are met with as much indifference — and at times open hostility — as the human rights of Palestinians held in the Israeli prison system. The marginal circle of lawyers and activists who continue to work on these cases operate in courts and speak out in public, but the abuses they document hardly register beyond their narrow professional and political communities.
Over the past two years, Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations have published several reports on the dire condition of Palestinians incarcerated in Israel. The reports describe extreme overcrowding, deprivation of basic necessities, widespread illness, routine violence and torture, and severe restrictions on medical access and care. Between October 2023 and November 2025, nearly 100 Palestinians are known to have died in Israeli custody, which human rights groups describe as likely a significant undercount. ……more
