For any sick or injured prisoner, timely medical treatment can mean the difference between life and death. But the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) has raised serious concerns over the medical care being provided to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, alleging that delays in treatment and medical neglect are putting the lives of sick and wounded detainees at risk.
The PPS has highlighted the case of 15-year-old Palestinian teenager Mohammad Mousa Suleiman Hmeid, holding Israeli authorities responsible for his deteriorating health. Hmeid, from the town of Tuqu’, southeast of Bethlehem, has been in detention since February 2026. According to the organization, his health significantly worsened while in detention, after which he was transferred from Ofer Prison to a hospital, where he underwent open-heart surgery.
The PPS said Hmeid’s family was not allowed to visit him or receive information about his condition. According to the organization, the family learned about his surgery through a human rights organization rather than Israeli prison authorities. The teenager reportedly remains in critical condition and requires intensive medical care.
The organization has also raised the case of 30-year-old prisoner Malek Hani Jibril, also from Tuqu’. According to the PPS, Jibril was shot by Israeli forces near the Checkpoint 300 military crossing earlier this month and was arrested while wounded. He later underwent surgery that resulted in the amputation of his right foot. The PPS alleged that his health deteriorated due to the failure to provide timely medical treatment while he remained in detention.
The PPS said the cases of Hmeid and Jibril are not isolated incidents but reflect what it describes as a growing pattern of medical neglect affecting Palestinian prisoners since October 7, 2023. The organization has expressed particular concern over amputations, saying several wounded prisoners from the Gaza Strip were shot before their arrest and later lost limbs. It added that hundreds of wounded detainees remain in detention and require ongoing medical treatment and assistive devices.
The organization further alleged that medical neglect, inadequate food and denial of treatment are being used as additional means of pressure against Palestinian prisoners. It said Palestinian organizations face significant difficulties in monitoring prisoners’ health conditions and obtaining their medical records. According to the PPS, some prisoners also avoid seeking medical treatment due to fear of further abuse or retaliation.
The PPS has called on the international community, the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and international human rights organizations to intervene. It urged pressure on Israeli authorities to provide adequate medical care to sick and wounded prisoners, end the alleged policy of medical neglect and allow independent investigations into reported violations.
According to the PPS, Israeli authorities are currently holding around 9,400 Palestinian prisoners in more than 23 prisons, detention centres and interrogation facilities. The organization said the detainees include 95 women and around 380 children.