Jerusalem: A Palestinian child remains unconscious and on a ventilator after suffering torture and medical neglect during his detention in an Israeli prison, with his right foot at risk of amputation, a prisoners' rights group said Sunday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Palestinian Prisoner Society reported that Mohammed Hmeid, 16, from the town of Tuqu' in the southern West Bank province of Bethlehem, was detained by Israeli forces on February 25, 2026. He was held in the juvenile section of Ofer Prison near Ramallah.
The group stated that Hmeid was subjected to harsh detention conditions, including torture, abuse, starvation, and denial of treatment. It was reported that his family and the International Committee of the Red Cross were prohibited from visiting him and other Palestinian prisoners.
The group noted that Hmeid contracted scabies in April but was denied necessary treatment, worsening his condition and leading to severe skin infections. He developed a high fever and was taken to the prison clinic, where he was found to have a severe urinary tract infection and elevated blood sugar levels.
On July 20, Hmeid was transferred to the Israeli Shaare Zedek hospital after the Ramla Prison clinic refused to admit him due to his scabies condition. However, he was returned to Ofer Prison less than 12 hours later, despite his serious health condition, and remained there for four days receiving antibiotics without improvement.
Hmeid underwent heart surgery, and subsequent examinations indicated neurological damage affecting several parts of his body, including his right foot, which is at risk of amputation. Despite his critical condition, he was shackled to his hospital bed during his stay.
On July 30, following intervention by Israeli group Physicians for Human Rights, his family was allowed to visit him after Israeli authorities decided to release him because his condition had become extremely critical. Currently, Hmeid is unconscious and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at Shaare Zedek hospital.
Doctors are awaiting the stabilization of Hmeid's condition to assess the extent of the damage to his body and the possibility of amputating his right foot. The group warned that Hmeid's case is not isolated but reflects a systematic policy of denying prisoners health care.
Palestinian prisoners' organizations have documented several cases where detainees were released only after reaching critical illness stages, describing it as a dangerous manifestation of a slow-killing policy. The group noted that around 350 Palestinian children are held in Israel's Megiddo and Ofer prisons, with the number changing daily due to ongoing arrest campaigns.
It was reported that more than 100 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli prisons since October 2023, with 90 identities announced. Currently, Israel holds around 9,400 Palestinian prisoners, including 94 women and over 350 children.