West Bank: A 17-year-old Palestinian detainee, Walid Ahmad, has died in an Israeli prison after collapsing under unclear circumstances, Palestinian officials said. Ahmad had been held without charge for six months at Israel’s Megiddo Prison, where his family and legal representatives claim he suffered from poor health conditions and was denied proper medical care.
Family Alleges Neglect, Poor Prison Conditions
Ahmad was arrested in September 2023 on allegations of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, but was never formally charged. According to his family, he was “a healthy high schooler” at the time of his detention.
His father, Khalid Ahmad, said his son’s health visibly deteriorated over time, which he observed during four court appearances conducted via video link.
“His body was weakened due to malnutrition in the prisons in general,” Khalid Ahmad said, adding that his son had complained about scabies and harsh prison conditions. “Don’t worry about me,” he recalled Walid saying.
The family believes Walid may have contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection linked to poor hygiene and sanitation, which can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration if left untreated.
Legal Representatives Denied Access
Walid’s lawyer, Firas al-Jabrini, accused Israeli authorities of blocking his attempts to visit the teenager in prison. He told AP that fellow prisoners confirmed Walid had dysentery and that the illness was widespread among young Palestinian detainees in Megiddo Prison.
The Palestinian Authority’s Detainee Commission also reported that Walid collapsed and hit his head on a metal rod, causing him to lose consciousness.
“The prison administration did not respond to the prisoners’ requests for urgent care to save his life,” said Thaer Shriteh, a spokesperson for the commission, citing witness accounts.
Israeli Prison Service Withholds Details
Israel’s Prison Service confirmed the death of a 17-year-old detainee from the West Bank but did not disclose details about the cause, stating only that “his medical condition is being kept confidential.” The agency added that all deaths in detention are subject to investigation but did not respond to further inquiries.
Growing Concerns Over Mass Arrests and Prison Conditions
Walid’s death has further intensified scrutiny over Israel’s mass detention policies in the West Bank. Since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, Israeli forces have detained over 14,000 Palestinians, with the majority held under administrative detention, a policy that allows indefinite imprisonment without formal charges or trial, based on undisclosed evidence.
Israel defends the practice, stating that detainees are suspected of militant activity or hostility towards soldiers.
However, human rights groups and Palestinian officials have long criticized the policy as a tool of occupation, with estimates suggesting up to 40% of Palestinian men have been arrested at least once.
According to the Palestinian Authority, Walid is the first Palestinian teenager to die in Israeli custody and the 63rd Palestinian prisoner from the West Bank or Gaza to have died in detention since the start of the war.
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