Israeli news outlet Haaretz confirmed that Dr. Iyad Rantisi, the head of the obstetrics department at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, was killed under torture while in Israeli custody. Dr. Rantisi died in November 2023, six days after his arrest by Israeli forces during the Gaza genocide. Israeli authorities did not inform his family of his death until after Haaretz’s report in June 2024.
The official cause of death was recorded as a heart attack, but signs of severe trauma were found on his body. These injuries raised suspicions that he had been subjected to violence during interrogation. While an internal investigation conducted by the Ministry of Justice concluded that there was no basis for a criminal investigation against the Shin Bet interrogators, the findings were forwarded to the Police Investigations Unit (PIU) for further review.
Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director-General of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, revealed that Dr. Rantisi was abducted in November 2023 while moving to southern Gaza, which Israel had declared a “safe zone.” According to Al-Bursh, Dr. Rantisi had complained of chest pains resulting from the intense torture he endured during his detention. Despite this, Israeli authorities provided no details on the circumstances surrounding his arrest or treatment.
Dr. Rantisi’s death is part of a broader pattern of fatalities among Palestinian detainees since October 2023. At least four Palestinians have died while in Israeli custody during this period. Two of these cases involved visible signs of torture on the bodies of the detainees. In many cases, the families of the deceased were left in the dark until news outlets exposed the incidents.
The Israeli authorities have continued to avoid accountability, with the Ministry of Justice’s inquiries failing to trigger criminal investigations.
A Palestinian human rights report published in June stated that the number of detainees killed under torture in Israeli prisons and detention camps since October, 2023 is the highest in the history of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement.
The report revealed that at least 18 prisoners were officially declared dead by specialized organizations since the start of the genocide. It also noted that dozens of detainees from Gaza lost their lives in Israeli prisons and camps, with their identities yet to be disclosed.
