15 year old Palestinian on life support five months after Israel arrest

15 year old Mohammad Suleiman Hamed, was detained by genocidal Israel. Because he suffered no previous health conditions, his family was surprised by a call from Physicians for Human Rights, informing them their son would undergo surgery in the hospital. Hamed is now unconscious, on life support in the intensive care unit of the “Israeli” Shaare Zedek Medical Centre, in occupied Jerusalem.

Israel carrying out systematic torture

Hamed, from the town of Tuqu, Southeast of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, was held in the juvenile section of Ofer Prison. He has endured torture, starvation, abuse, denial of family and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visits, and medical neglect.

In April he contracted scabies. Due to intentional denial of medical treatment his condition deteriorated significantly. By July, he developed a severe fever and was transferred to the prison clinic. Examinations showed he had developed a urinary tract infection, and was suffering from high levels of blood sugar.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS), Hamed was transferred to the “Israel’s” Shaare Zedek Medical Centre on 20 July. This is because Ramla Prison Clinic had refused to admit him because he had scabies. Despite his serious condition, occupation prison authorities returned him to Ofer Prison, where he was given antibiotics. He stayed there for four days, but his condition continued to deteriorate.

Spreading infection

Hamed was then transferred back to Shaare Zedek Medical Centre, where examinations found the infection had spread to several organs, including his heart and brain. On 27 July, the 15 year old underwent open-heart surgery, without his parents present, and suffered neurological damage. Several parts of his body were affected, including his right foot, which doctors say may require amputation.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club is urging international bodies to intervene and ensure medical care for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prison.

15-year-old detainee underwent open-heart surgery while in Israeli custody without his family's permission.

It also reported that… pic.twitter.com/H3mbSwPWnU

Advertisement

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 31, 2026

Israel occupation evading responsibility

Since 30 July, following intervention from Physicians for Human Rights, family visits have been permitted for Hamed. This comes after occupation authorities decided to release him, because of his extremely critical condition. According to the PPS, they did this to evade any responsibility for their crimes. Hamed remains unconscious in the intensive care unit, and doctors are waiting for him to stabilise before they can assess the extent of damage caused to his body.

Mohammed Hamed’s case is not unique. It is one of the thousands faced by Palestinian political prisoners. In March 2025, 17 year old Walid Ahmad became the first Palestinian under the age of 18 to be martyred by the occupation in its prison system. He had scabies, and likely died from extreme malnutrition caused by starvation. He was arrested during a night time raid on his home in Silwad, and spent six months in detention without charge or trial.

Walid Ahmad died after just six months in detention

Ahmad also had no prior health issues before his arrest on 30 September 2024. He lost consciousness while in Megiddo Prison, on 22 March 2025, and was declared dead when he was transferred to the prison clinic. He had been denied family and lawyer visits.

It's been reported that an Israeli court ruled Walid Ahmad, a Palestinian child who died while detained in an Israeli prison, was 'likely starved'. He was held for six months without charge.

Sadly, such ill-treatment is not unusual. It is unconscionable that any child should be… pic.twitter.com/6bTuLXVkK2

— Save the Children UK (@savechildrenuk) March 26, 2026

Advertisement

Malek Hani Jibril, 30, is also from the town of Tuqu. He was shot and arrested by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at the “300” military checkpoint in July. Subsequent surgery resulted in the amputation of his right foot. He remains in detention.

Prisoners fear requesting treatment

Israeli occupation authorities have systematically targeted Palestinian political prisoners by starving and torturing them, and denying them healthcare until they reach critical or irreversible stages. They are then released in an attempt to evade legal and criminal responsibility for the abuses they have committed against them. This has led to an unprecedented spread of diseases and injuries among them.

There are huge challenges when it comes to monitoring the health conditions of prisoners and obtaining their medical files. Not only is this due to inaction and procedures imposed by the “Israeli” authorities. It is also down to the reluctance of many prisoners to request treatment, due to fear of being subjected to further attacks and abuse.

The PPS says limb amputations have become one of the most serious issues currently being experienced by prisoners. Many detainees are shot before being arrested, which can then lead to amputation. In addition, some Palestinians have experienced a limb amputation and are then arrested later on. They too are deprived of the necessary healthcare and medical support to meet their basic needs inside prison.

More than 100 Palestinian prisoners have been killed in “Israeli” custody since October 2023. The occupation currently holds approximately 9400 Palestinian prisoners, including 350 Palestinian children.

Featured image via author

By Charlie Jaay

Source link