A prominent Palestinian orthopedic surgeon from Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, has died in an Israeli prison after more than four months of detention, according to Palestinian prisoner associations and the enclave's health ministry. His death has sparked outrage and calls for an international investigation into the circumstances surrounding his demise.
Dr. Al-Bursh was detained by Israeli forces while temporarily treating patients at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza. The Israeli prison service confirmed his death on April 19 but provided no details about the cause. The Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Committee and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, in a joint statement, alleged that his death was a result of torture and part of a systematic targeting of doctors and the health system in Gaza.
The Israeli prison service issued a statement saying that a prisoner detained for national security reasons had died in Ofer prison, without providing further details. A spokesperson confirmed that the statement referred to Dr. Al-Bursh and said the incident was under investigation.
The death of Dr. Al-Bursh has been described as an "assassination" by the Palestinian prisoner associations. They also claimed that his body is still being held by the Israeli authorities. The fate of other doctors arrested with Dr. Al-Bursh in December at the Al-Awda Hospital remains unknown.
The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, expressed extreme alarm at the news of Dr. Al-Bursh's death. "No Palestinian is safe under Israel’s occupation today," she said. "How many more lives will have to be taken before UN Member States, especially those demonstrating genuine concern for human rights globally, act to protect the Palestinians?"
The death of Dr. Al-Bursh has brought the total number of medical personnel killed since the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza in October to 496, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The ministry also reported that about 1,500 medical workers have been wounded during the war, while 309 remain imprisoned in Israeli jails.
Israel has been accused of repeatedly targeting medical facilities and health workers, a practice banned under international humanitarian law according to the Geneva Conventions. Israel defends its actions by accusing Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes, a claim that has been denied by Hamas and medical staff.
The death of Dr. Al-Bursh, a respected surgeon and a sports adviser for the Palestinian national soccer team, has left a significant void in Gaza's medical community. His death has also left his five children, the youngest aged three, without a father. The international community is now watching closely, awaiting the results of the investigation into his death and the broader issue of the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
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