Ramallah: Palestinian detainee Marwan Fathi Harzallah has died in the Israeli Megiddo prison, as reported by the Palestinian Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Affairs Authority alongside the Palestinian Prisoners Society.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Harzallah was detained on January 8, 2026, on charges of 'incitement' as claimed by Israeli authorities. He previously suffered injuries from being shot by Israeli forces in 1995, which led to the amputation of one of his legs. His son, Tahrir Harzallah, is currently held under administrative detention.
Harzallah's death is part of a troubling pattern, with over 100 Palestinian detainees having died in Israeli prisons and detention centers. Palestinian authorities attribute these deaths to a campaign they describe as genocidal, with 89 victims' identities confirmed so far.
The joint statement from the organizations highlighted the causes of these deaths, including torture, starvation, medical negligence, and various abuses such as sexual assaults and inhumane detention conditions. This incident comes amid Israeli legislative efforts to legalize the execution of Palestinian detainees, a practice previously conducted extrajudicially.
With Harzallah's passing, the number of Palestinian prisoners confirmed as martyrs since 1967 has increased to 326. Many detainees from Gaza face enforced disappearance, and numerous executions have occurred in the field. Evidence of systematic extrajudicial killings by the Israeli military has emerged from photos of bodies returned after ceasefires.
The Palestinian Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Affairs Authority, along with the Prisoners Society, has held Israeli authorities fully accountable for Harzallah's death. They urge international human rights organizations to take immediate action to hold Israeli leaders accountable for alleged war crimes against Palestinian detainees and civilians, aiming to end a longstanding period of impunity.
