Prominent Gaza Surgeon Dies in Israeli Prison
Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, a well-known surgeon who was head of orthopedics at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, has died in Israeli prison after being held for more than four months, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society reported.
Al-Bursh, 50, was one of 11 medical staff members detained by Israeli authorities during a military ground invasion of Jabalya last December. He was treating patients at Al Awda Hospital at the time.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society and the Detainees’ Affairs Commission issued a joint statement blaming Israel for Al-Bursh’s death, calling it part of a “systematic process of attack against doctors and the health system in Gaza.”
Dr. Marwan Abu Saada, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, described Al-Bursh’s death as “heartbreaking news for everyone,” noting that he was loved by all and dedicated to his patients.
Israeli authorities have not yet released Al-Bursh’s body, and have not commented on the circumstances surrounding his death. However, Saada claimed that a released prisoner had reported that Al-Bursh had been tortured and killed while in detention.
The IDF has previously stated that it treats all detainees in accordance with international law. However, an unpublished United Nations report obtained by CNN described widespread physical and psychological abuse against Palestinians detained by the Israeli military.
Dozens of Gaza detainees were released by Israel on Thursday, including the body of Ismail Khadr, a Palestinian man who had also died in Israeli custody. With the deaths of Al-Bursh and Khadr, the total number of Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli custody since October 7 now stands at 18.
The deaths of these two men have raised concerns about the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, with prisoner associations calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.