In Tel Aviv, a recent case involving the death of a 17-year-old Palestinian teenager, Walid Ahmad, in an Israeli prison has raised significant concerns. As reported by an Israeli doctor present during the autopsy, starvation appeared to be the primary reason for the young man’s death. Ahmad, who had been detained without charges for six months, suffered from severe malnutrition and exhibited signs of colon inflammation and scabies according to a report by Dr. Daniel Solomon.
Despite the absence of a definitive cause of death, the autopsy revealed Ahmad’s extreme weight loss and muscle wasting. His family shared these findings, as documented in Solomon’s report, with concerns mounting since Ahmad had repeatedly complained about inadequate nutrition since December in Megiddo Prison’s medical clinic.
Ahmad’s tragic demise occurred last month after he collapsed and suffered a head injury. Palestinian officials, after contacting fellow inmates, conveyed this information. In response, Israel’s prison service has launched an investigation, promising to forward the insights to the relevant authorities.
Ahmad stands as the youngest Palestinian to have died in Israeli custody since the onset of the Gaza conflict. Arrested during a September raid in the West Bank, allegations against him involved stone-throwing at soldiers, asserted by his family. The autopsy, performed on March 27 at Israel’s Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, has yet to be publicly detailed, and inquiries for additional comments have gone unanswered.
This case has intensified scrutiny of Israeli detention conditions, especially since the war’s outbreak initiated by Hamas’s attack in Gaza. Palestinian authorities claim that since the conflict began, 72 detainees have died in Israeli prisons, with Israel retaining many bodies citing security concerns.
Former detainees recount intensified hardships in prisons, describing abusive environments compounded by overcrowding, medical neglect, and poor living conditions. Megiddo Prison, notably severe in its treatment, houses many detainees without formal charges.
Ahmad’s legal representative, Firas al-Jabrini, faced barriers when attempting to meet Ahmad. However, accounts from other prisoners indicated Ahmad’s severe health struggles, including gastrointestinal distress possibly aggravated by unsanitary food conditions during Ramadan fasting.
The autopsy pointed to possible colitis, a condition inducing severe diarrhea, often much less fatal in young patients, suggesting its lethal escalation was linked to intense malnutrition. Dr. Lina Qasem Hassan of Physicians for Human Rights indicated that Ahmad’s nutritional deficiencies severely compromised his immune response, increasing vulnerability to illness.
Additional autopsy observations revealed the presence of scabies and problematic air pockets around his lungs, indicating potential complications from untreated symptoms like vomiting or coughing.
Ahmad was reportedly a healthy youth with a passion for soccer before his detention. His father, Khalid Ahmad, noted his son’s deteriorating health during virtual court appearances. Currently, the family awaits a death certificate and hopes that Dr. Solomon’s report might expedite the return of Ahmad’s remains for burial.
Khalid Ahmad lamented his son’s plight, expressing frustration over the rights and life quality within Israeli prisons, underscoring the gravity of these human rights concerns.