Hamas said the latest death in detention constitutes “a new crime” within what it termed Israel’s policy of “slow killing” through torture, medical neglect and mistreatment.
Another Palestinian has died in Israeli detention, prisoners’ affairs groups confirmed on Wednesday, amid ongoing reports of abuse and human rights violations in Israeli prisons.
Abdelrahman al-Sabateen, 21, a resident of Husan town near Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, died at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in west Jerusalem, the Palestinian Prisoner Society and the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs said in a joint statement, according to the Anadolu news agency. No details were provided about the cause of his death.
BREAKING: 21-year-old Palestinian detainee Abdul Rahman Al-Sabatine from Husan, near Bethlehem, has died in Israel’s Shaare Zedek Hospital. He had been in detention since June 24, 2025.
His death comes amid ongoing reports of abuse and deliberate neglect in Israeli prisons. He… pic.twitter.com/eEpr1KBPQ7
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 10, 2025
Al-Sabateen was arrested by Israeli occupation forces in June 2025. According to the Quds News Network (QNN), he had no health issues prior to his detention.
The two groups held Israeli prison authorities fully responsible for Sabateen’s death, and called on the international community to intervene to provide protection for prisoners.
They accused Israel of escalating its violations against Palestinians in Israeli prisons amid reports indicating a rising number of deaths due to harsh detention conditions, including deprivation of medical treatment and ill-treatment.
Policy of ‘Slow Killing’
The Palestinian Resistance movement, Hamas, said it held Israel fully responsible for the death of al-Sabateen.
The movement reportedly said his death constitutes “a new crime” within what it described as Israel’s policy of “slow killing” through torture, medical neglect, and mistreatment. It stressed that violations against prisoners have intensified since the start of the genocidal assault on Gaza.
Israel’s Public Defender Audit Confirms Severe Conditions of Palestinian Detainees – Report
Hamas warned against the continuation of what it called “systematic executions” inside Israeli prisons and urged international institutions to act to hold Israel accountable.
Close to 100 Dead in Detention
At least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli detention since October 7, 2023, according to a report published by the human rights organization, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) last month.
The 28-page report, titled ‘Deaths of Palestinians in Israeli Custody: Enforced Disappearances, Systematic Killings and Cover-Ups’ exposes “a deeply concerning pattern of systematic human rights violations committed against Palestinians detained by Israel and classified as ‘security prisoners’.”
Close to 100 Palestinians Died in Israeli Detention since October 2023 – Report
The crimes, PHRI stressed, were “carried out as part of an official policy implemented by Israeli authorities since October 2023.”
Call for Independent Probe
It said that the information presented in the report reflects only the cases currently known to PHRI and other human rights organizations.
“The fate of hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza detained by the Israeli military remains unknown to this day, suggesting that the true number of deaths is likely significantly higher than those documented here,” the report stated.
‘Tashrifeh,’ Beatings, Starvation: Gaza Detainees Detail Israeli Prison Torture
PHRI said the report highlights “the urgent need for an independent international investigation that will bring an end to these systematic killings, ensure accountability, and bring closure to victims’ families.”
Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 9,300 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including more than 50 women and about 350 children, in addition to those kept in Israeli army camps, Anadolu reported.
Marwan Barghouti
Among the prominent prisoners is 66-year-old Marwan Barghouthi, a senior leader of the Fatah group, who has been serving five life sentences since 2002 on charges related to the Second Intifada, which began in 2000.
A global campaign has been launched demanding his release amid reports of his violent mistreatment and abuse at the hands of Israeli prison authorities.
‘Unjustly Imprisoned’: Global Voices Demand Freedom for Marwan Barghouti
Barghouthi’s son, Qassam, said on Friday that he had received reports that Israeli occupation authorities had broken his father’s teeth and ribs and cut part of his ear, as well as broken his fingers “in stages, for fun,” the Quds News Network reported.
Ben-Gvir’s Threats
In August, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened Barghouti after entering his cell, leaving the detainee’s family alarmed by his deteriorating appearance and fearful for his life.
According to the Israeli Channel 7, Ben-Gvir entered the solitary confinement ward where Barghouti is held and told him: “Whoever kills our children or women, we will wipe them out. You will not defeat us.”
“Release (Marwan) and allow the possibility for genuine democratic elections, and let’s see if (Marwan) is elected. But regardless of whether (Marwan) is elected, the point is that his release would represent giving the Palestinians the right to have sovereignty over their own… pic.twitter.com/1OUBIqt4cy
— FreeMarwanNow (@FreeMarwanNow) December 8, 2025
The channel published a video of the visit, showing Barghouti looking frail and emaciated. It said the purpose of the visit was to oversee tighter restrictions on Palestinian detainees.
Dubbed the “Palestinian Mandela”, Barghouti is widely seen as the only figure capable of unifying all Palestinian political camps.
(PC, Anadolu, WAFA, QNN)
