Mainstream Media Asks: 'Why Do Palestinians Keep Dying in Prison?'
Sakhr Zaoul, 26, is dead in Ofer prison, described as having no chronic illnesses. This isn't an anomaly, it's a pattern. The Israeli human rights organization Bt'Selem documented that 241 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since 1967. Of these, 75 were reportedly due to medical negligence or torture. Recall the case of Nizar Banat, a critic of the Palestinian Authority, beaten to death in
PA custody in 2021 by forces often trained by—you guessed it—US-backed agencies. The story is never just about one death; it’s about a system. While this particular tragic event focuses on human rights, the broader silence from Western media and politicians remains deafening. The same week a Palestinian died in Israeli custody, the US Congress was likely still navigating aid packages. For example,
in 2023, the US provided $3.3 billion in security assistance to Israel . One might wonder if any of that comes with a 'don't-let-detainees-die-in-prison' clause, or if some deaths are simply more inconvenient than others.