Palestinian ‘doctor of the poor’ says he faces abuse, medical neglect in Israeli prison

71-year-old Palestinian physician, Dr. Mazen Rantisi, commonly known as the "doctor of the poor," claims he has endured physical abuse and insufficient medical care while imprisoned in Israel since June. Arrested in a pre-dawn raid on his home in Ramallah, Rantisi was held in Ofer prison, where he alleges prison officials withheld his regular medication for 10 days and have yet to provide it.

His requests for a doctor's visit were ignored, and a medic only checked his pulse once via a narrow cell door opening. Rantisi further reported experiencing physical violence, with prison units raiding his cell multiple times weekly and beating detainees. He also stated that guards once sprayed tear gas into his cell, causing difficulty breathing.

Rantisi's lawyer, Saja Mishraki-Baransa, described the physician as having rapidly lost weight due to inadequate and unwholesome prison rations. Ten prisoners share his six-bed cell, with four taking turns sleeping on the floor, and there are no cleaning supplies. The Israel Prison Service refutes Rantisi's claims, maintaining that all prisoners are treated in line with the law.

The situation mirrors the worsening prison conditions and severe violations of detainees' rights reported by the Public Defender's Office last July.