A prominent Hamas leader in the West Bank, Mustafa Muhammad Abu Ara, has died in Israeli custody, according to statements from Palestinian authorities and the militant group on Friday.
The 63-year-old Abu Ara passed away after being transferred from a prison in southern Israel to a hospital. This has been confirmed in a joint statement by the Palestinian authority’s prisoners’ affairs body and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club watchdog.
Hamas mourned Abu Ara’s death, declaring, “We mourn the passing of the leader and prisoner Sheikh Mustafa Muhammad Abu Ara and hold the occupation responsible for his assassination through deliberate medical neglect.”
Arrested in October while already suffering from severe health issues, Abu Ara reportedly endured torture and starvation while being detained, the Palestinian prisoners’ bodies said.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on the incident.
This incident comes amid heightened tensions, with Palestinian authorities recently accusing Israel of conducting an abusive “war of revenge” against Palestinian detainees since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In response to these allegations, the Israeli military has stated that it “rejects outright allegations concerning systematic abuse of detainees,” emphasising that it operates within international law.
