Palestinian prisoner dies in Israeli custody as family seeks answers
Palestinian prisoner dies in Israeli custody as family seeks answers Submitted by Fayha Shalash on Thu, 09/17/2026 - 14:33 Moataz al-Atrash, 21, dies after nearly a year in administrative detention as rights groups report a surge in deaths in Israeli prisons Moataz Nizam al-Atrash, 21, suffered no health conditions before his arrest, raising questions over the conditions of his detention (X) Off…
Moataz Nizam al-Atrash, a 21-year-old Palestinian prisoner from Hebron, passed away while in Israeli custody at Ofer Prison, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. He had been in administrative detention without charge or trial for nearly a year, based on a "secret file." Prior to his arrest, al-Atrash had no known health conditions.
His family was given no explanation for his death, aside from the fact that he had died in prison. The last visit from a lawyer occurred two months prior and lasted only five minutes. Moataz's brother, Basil, expressed shock and devastation at the news, as the officer informed his father that his son had died in prison without providing any additional details.
The family is awaiting the results of an autopsy, which they fear may be withheld by Israeli authorities. The Palestinian detainees commission and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society claim that al-Atrash's death is indicative of a "policy of extermination" against Palestinian prisoners, as 92 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli prisons since October 2023.
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