A Gaza Doctor Has Died in Israeli Custody, Palestinian Groups Say

A Palestinian doctor from the Gaza Strip, detained by Israeli forces and held for four months, has died in detention, Palestinian officials and detainee rights groups say.

Dr. Adnan Ahmad Albursh, 50, the head of orthopedics at Al-Shifa Hospital, the Gaza Strip’s biggest medical center, was detained along with other doctors in December by Israeli forces when they raided a hospital, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club, which advocate for the rights of Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Times of Israel cited the military as confirming that the Israeli prison service had declared Dr. Albursh dead on April 19, without giving a cause of death. It said he had been detained for national security reasons.

Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, including women and children. Former detainees have said that they suffered beatings and other physical abuse in Israeli custody, and the United Nations human rights office has said Israel’s treatment of detainees might amount to torture, which Israel denies. International human rights groups say they have been denied access to detainees.

Dozens of Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since Oct. 7, according to the Israeli military and rights groups. The Israeli military has said it is aware of the deaths of 27 Palestinians in its custody.

The prisoner rights groups accused Israel of abusing and killing Dr. Albursh, but did not offer evidence for their claims, or say how they knew about the circumstances of his confinement and death.