CNN
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A 17-year-old Palestinian boy died following “probably extended malnutrition” in an Israeli jail, in line with an post-mortem carried out by an Israeli pathologist.
{The teenager}, Walid Khalid Ahmad, is the primary minor to have died in Israeli custody for the reason that conflict between Hamas and Israel began in October 2023, in line with the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS).
He died in Israel’s Megiddo Jail on March 22, in line with his household and a joint assertion by the PPS and the Palestinian Fee of Detainees’ Affairs.
Ahmad was arrested on September 30 final 12 months in his residence in Silwad, a Palestinian city northeast of Ramallah within the occupied West Bank. His father Khalid mentioned that he was detained based mostly on alleged offenses between 2020 and 2023 that included throwing stones and Molotov cocktails.
Walid and his household deny the accusations made in opposition to him. The PPS instructed CNN {the teenager} was not charged, and court docket hearings have been repeatedly delayed.
5 days after Ahmad died, his physique was examined on the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv, in line with a duplicate of the post-mortem report that his household shared with CNN.
The post-mortem report described indicators of extreme weight and muscle loss, together with lack of muscle mass on the temples, a sunken look on the stomach and “nearly absent muscle mass or subcutaneous fats on trunk and extremities.”
“Post-mortem findings recommend that Walid suffered from excessive, probably extended malnutrition as noticed by his deeply cachectic state and complaints of insufficient meals consumption since at the least December 2024,” it mentioned. “It must be famous that malnutrition will increase the chance of infectious problems together with extreme sepsis,” it added.
CNN didn’t obtain an instantaneous response from the Israel safety service or the Israel Protection Forces about why {the teenager} was arrested final September and whether or not he had been formally charged. The Justice Ministry referred inquiries again to the Jail Service.
The PPS instructed CNN that Ahmad shouldn’t be solely the primary minor to die in Israeli custody since October 2023, but in addition since 1967. CNN can not confirm the assertion.
At the least 63 Palestinians from Gaza and the West Financial institution have thus far died in Israeli detention for the reason that begin of the newest battle, the PPS mentioned, together with at the least 40 from Gaza.
The Israeli Jail Service instructed CNN that “upon receiving the preliminary report on the detainee’s situation, a medical staff was referred to as to the scene and responded as required.”
“As in any case of the loss of life of a prisoner, an investigative staff was appointed to look at the incident. Upon completion of the investigation its findings will probably be forwarded to the licensed authorities,” it mentioned.
Khalid, Ahmad’s father, instructed CNN that on September 30 final 12 months, Israeli forces “stormed the home” at round 3:30 a.m. and arrested his son.
The household was allowed to attend a number of court docket hearings within the case, which have been held remotely by video convention calls, he mentioned.
Israeli authorities proceed to carry Ahmad’s physique, Khalid instructed CNN.
The household was knowledgeable of his loss of life on March 24, two days after he died, Khalid mentioned, including that days later, he acquired a telephone name from the medical staff that performed the post-mortem, who instructed him “the painful reality” behind his son’s loss of life.
An avid athlete, Ahmad didn’t endure from any recognized sicknesses earlier than his detention, his father mentioned, pointing to his therapy in custody as the reason for his son’s loss of life.
“Walid was a younger man with nice values,” Khalid mentioned. “What occurred was sudden.”
The Fee on Detainees’ Affairs and the PPS mentioned Walid’s loss of life was “proof of the horrific stage of abuse confronted by detainees inside Israeli occupation prisons, together with a whole bunch of youngsters.”
Israel has ramped up arrests within the occupied West Financial institution for the reason that newest warfare started, PPS mentioned, with some 15,700 arrests thus far recorded by its rely.
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