Israeli court closes case into Palestinian teen’s death despite evidence of starvation

An Israeli court has drawn criticism after closing an investigation into the death of a Palestinian teenager in custody, despite finding indications he had been starved prior to his death.

Walid Ahmad, a 17-year-old from the occupied West Bank, died in Israeli custody in March 2025, six months after he was detained for allegedly throwing stones, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs.

Judge Ehud Kaplan ruled the case should be closed, stating there was no proven link between Ahmad’s deteriorating physical condition, such as severe weight loss and infection, and the immediate cause of his death. Details of the ruling emerged on Tuesday after a gag order was lifted.

Nadia Dakka, a human rights lawyer who has followed the case, criticised the decision as reflecting a narrow legal approach that fails to address the broader conditions contributing to detainees’ deaths.

“There are indications that he died as a result of starvation, but the discussion focused on whether starvation was the immediate cause of death,” she told Middle East Eye.

Dakka said the ruling highlights the difficulty of establishing criminal responsibility in cases involving systemic abuse.

“The court looks for someone specific who can be held responsible, but when the harm is systemic, it becomes very difficult to prove criminal responsibility,” she said.

During detention, Ahmad was denied access to family visits and legal counsel.

Testimonies collected by Defence for Children International indicate that he became dizzy and collapsed on 22 March 2025. Fellow detainees said they called for help, but guards did not respond. The children carried him to the yard gate, where guards eventually took him away.

“Unfortunately, Walid is not an isolated case,” Dakka said. “Many detainees have died in prison, and in many instances, their deaths have received very little public attention.”

Systemic neglect

Ahmad’s death reflects broader systemic issues in Israeli detention facilities, including abuse, food deprivation and delayed medical care, which rights groups say persist even after detainees are released.

According to Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), at least 94 Palestinians died in Israeli custody between October 2023 and August 2025, with many cases involving severe medical neglect, physical abuse, or significant deterioration of health while imprisoned.

Naji Abbas, director of PHRI’s Prisoners and Detainees Department, said the decline in food quality began soon after 7 October 2023.

“This was not a minor deterioration; it was a complete change in the way food was provided,” he told MEE. 

Abbas added that in some prisons detainees were receiving fewer than 1,200 calories per day.

‘There is a declared policy of reducing calories as part of deterrence’

– Nadia Dakka, human rights lawyer

The World Health Organisation sets a baseline of 2,100 calories per person per day just to maintain health and provide enough energy for daily tasks in humanitarian or emergency settings.

Dakka said the reduction in food has been framed as a deterrence measure.

“There is a declared policy of reducing calories as part of deterrence,” she said, explaining that harsh prison conditions are intended to make potential detainees think twice before committing offences.

PHRI has documented the practice through prisoner testimonies, court-submitted menus, and medical records showing sharp weight loss.

“We have many medical files showing prisoners who lost 16 kilos, 20 kilos, or more within a year,” Abbas said.

The pressure on Palestinian detainees often continues even after their release.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said Israeli authorities have intensified measures against prisoners freed through exchange deals, including repeated arrests, field interrogations, and ongoing questioning.

Around 100 prisoners released in recent agreements have since been re-arrested, some multiple times. 

The group said this reflects a broader policy that keeps former detainees under continuous surveillance and legal pressure, including the use of military orders that expand the authorities’ ability to re-arrest or summon them for questioning.

Some released prisoners reported experiencing physical violence shortly before their release, as well as ongoing threats directed at their families afterward.

Activists argue these policies contribute to conditions that can weaken detainees over time, increasing the risk of serious illness or death. They say a combination of hunger, lack of medical care, overcrowding, and sustained physical pressure creates an environment where health deteriorates gradually.

Abbas said that prolonged hunger and untreated illness may not produce immediate visible effects but can become life-threatening over time.

On Monday, the UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, warned in a new report that torture in Israel has become “state doctrine”. Albanese accused Israel of creating a “torturous environment” across the entire occupied Palestinian territory, which “destroys the conditions of life and human dignity”.

Unequal treatment 

Dakka said the broader political climate, particularly since National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir took office in 2022, has fostered what she described as a more punitive environment in Israeli prisons. 

Detainees are facing worsening conditions, including hunger, medical neglect, and poor hygiene.

“The current atmosphere in prisons reflects a wider policy shift that has normalised harsher treatment of detainees,” she said.

Dakka cited the Sde Teiman scandal, in which leaked footage appeared to show Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian detainee inside the facility. 

The case sparked investigations and public controversy, but in March 2026, Israeli military prosecutors dropped key charges against several soldiers, citing legal concerns over evidence handling. 

She said conditions for Palestinian detainees often deteriorate further during periods of heightened political or military tension, such as the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. 

Access to basic needs – including medical care, hygiene, and adequate living space – has reportedly become more restricted as security concerns take priority.

The difference in treatment between Palestinian detainees and Israeli prisoners accused of security offences is evident in daily life inside prisons. 

While Israeli law distinguishes between legal categories, lawyers say Palestinian detainees are often treated primarily as security threats, regardless of the individual case.

“This approach affects fundamental aspects of prison life, including food, movement, and protection,” Dakka said.

She recalled visiting a client in Sde Teiman during the 12-day conflict with Iran in June, when sirens sounded in the area. 

According to her, Israeli personnel were instructed to take shelter, while Palestinian detainees were left in their cells without access to protected spaces.

Dakka said the incident illustrates a broader reality in which detainees’ safety is often treated as secondary, even during direct security threats.