Palestinian man dies after decades of abuse in Israeli prison

Imad Sarhan, 48, was a Palestinian who had been imprisoned for almost 25 years by the Israeli occupation before his death on 14 June. The late Sarhan suffered from a heart attack whilst in the high security Gilboa prison.

Repeated tortured in Israeli custody

He was abducted from his home in Haifa, on 15 October 2001, and sentenced to life imprisonment plus 10 years. From his first day in prison, until the day he died, he underwent severe and systematic interrogation and torture sessions. He was also subjected to deliberate medical neglect, and regularly kept in solitary confinement, once for a period of four years. However, his family had not been given any information regarding the circumstances surrounding his death.

Decades of abuse from “Israel” during his imprisonment took its toll both physically and psychologically. Sarhan suffered from serious heart problems and high blood pressure. In recent years, his health deteriorated rapidly, leaving him unable to move without a wheelchair.

Israel ramps up collective punishment

There has been an escalation of acts of revenge attacks, abuse and neglect against Palestinian prisoners since October 2023. This is because the occupation has been carrying out collective punishment against Palestinians, a war crime under international law.

Legislation that legalises executions has now been approved. And the Knesset is making moves to permanently ban International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visits to prisoners. These developments deepen the vulnerability of prisoners, and make urgent independent oversight and accountability more necessary than ever.

The Palestinian Centre for Prisoners Advocacy is calling for the formation of independent international investigation committees. These would examine the circumstances of prisoners’ deaths inside detention centres, and prosecute the “Israeli” officials involved in these crimes.

Palestinian prisoner deaths

The killing of Sarhan brings the number of documented Palestinian deaths in Israeli custody to 90 since October 2023, and 327 since 1967. 118 of these were serving life sentences.

As of 10 June 2026, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, 9,400 Palestinians are detained in Israeli occupation jails, and 3,324 held without charge or trial. There are 95 female prisoners and nearly 360 children. In Gaza, 1,316 Palestinians have been detained classified by Israeli occupation authorities as “unlawful combatants.”