Gaza strip: The bodies of Palestinian prisoners killed in Israeli jails, received by the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, like previous groups received since the ceasefire began, clearly demonstrate the extent of Israeli crimes against the prisoners. The bodies bore the marks of killing and torture, and showed ample and clear evidence of having been subjected to the most heinous forms of torture and extrajudicial killings.
According to Yemen News Agency, Munir al-Barsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, described the tragic scene the bodies presented, noting that the bodies had faces burned to obliterate their features, and entrails brutally torn out. Al-Barsh emphasized that these bodies serve as a witness to global hypocrisy and the paradox of the international community's concern over the delay in handing over the bodies of Israeli prisoners while ignoring the brutal deaths of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.
The treatment of Palestinian prisoners and martyrs indicates that extrajudicial killings using brutal methods persist within Israeli prisons. The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) has called for an urgent international investigation into these cases, citing evidence of torture and extrajudicial killings.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office highlights an unprecedented escalation of systematic violations against Palestinian prisoners, reaching extrajudicial killings and liquidation after arrest. The office has documented medical and field evidence confirming the torture and deliberate killing of detainees, whose bodies show signs of torture and being run over by military vehicles.
The Palestinian Center for Prisoner Studies warns that the killing of prisoners might not stop, given the continued repressive policies of the Israeli government. Since October 7, 2023, 81 unarmed prisoners have been killed in Israeli prisons through torture and medical neglect. The center notes that the overall number of martyrs in the prisoner movement since 1967 has risen to 318, with the Israeli authorities continuing to hold many bodies without returning them to families.
The approval of a bill by the Knesset's National Security Committee to execute Palestinian prisoners represents an attempt to legitimize past crimes and poses a threat to thousands of prisoners. The Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office condemns this bill, calling it a war crime and an extension of long-standing execution practices by Israeli authorities.
Palestinian resistance factions and organizations have condemned the bill, viewing it as a step towards legalizing the systematic executions of Palestinian prisoners. They call for urgent international action to hold Israeli leaders accountable and to address the conditions in Israeli prisons.
This development represents a dangerous escalation in the treatment of Palestinian prisoners, as highlighted by statements from various Palestinian movements. The Islamic Jihad Movement and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have expressed concern over the implications of the bill, which could lead to mass executions and further violations of international law.