“Slow Execution” Palestinian Dies a Week After Release from Prison

The death of Khaled Al-Saifi, a 67-year-old Palestinian cultural leader from the Dheisheh refugee camp south of Bethlehem, has renewed scrutiny of Israel’s administrative detention system and medical care for prisoners. Al-Saifi died on Feb. 2, 2026, just seven days after his release from Israeli custody, following four months of detention without charge or trial. Palestinian prisoner rights groups say he was freed in a severely deteriorated condition, unable to walk and suffering from advanced pulmonary fibrosis that required urgent medical care.

In a joint statement, the Palestinian Prisoners and Released Prisoners Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said Al-Saifi had been transferred from Ofer Prison to the Ramle Prison clinic shortly before his release. They alleged he was administered injections that caused severe inflammation, after which his condition rapidly worsened.

Quds News Network reported on Jan. 27 that Al-Saifi was released “unable to walk” and in need of intensive treatment, marking his second detention since October 2023, with both releases occurring while he was in life-threatening condition.

“Slow Execution” Allegations

According to reports by WAFA News Agency, the two commissions said Al-Saifi’s case reflects Israel’s policy of “slow execution” against detainees, arguing that his release came only after prison authorities were certain of the severity of his health condition. The groups said his deteriorating health resulted from “systematic medical neglect and abuse” inside Israeli prisons, adding that he had been placed under administrative detention twice during the current war despite his age and chronic illness.

They also emphasized Al-Saifi’s public role, describing the founder and director of the Ibda’a Cultural Center as “one of the most prominent cultural, social, and political figures in Dheisheh camp.”

They also said he had been a “constant target” of Israeli forces and that his repeated detention reflected “determination to physically eliminate him.”

Detention, Release, and Systemic Strain

Israel released about 1,700 detainees from Gaza on Oct. 13 under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas. Palestinian organizations say many of those freed arrived in poor health, citing accounts of starvation, abuse, and humiliation during detention.

More than 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, remain held in Israeli prisons, according to Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations, which have documented multiple deaths in custody linked to alleged medical neglect.

Al-Saifi’s case adds to a growing body of claims that administrative detention, which allows imprisonment without formal charges or trial, is being used alongside restrictive medical care practices that leave detainees vulnerable upon release.

Rights groups say transfers to facilities such as Ramle Prison clinic often occur only after conditions become acute, limiting prospects for recovery.

Wider War Context

Since October 2023, Palestinian authorities and rights organizations say nearly 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, a figure Israeli authorities have recently confirmed.

Al-Saifi’s death has become a focal point for advocacy groups arguing that treatment of detainees represents a parallel humanitarian crisis, one unfolding away from the battlefield but with similarly fatal consequences.