The UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to the highest attainable standard of health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, called for an independent international investigation into the circumstances of the death of the head of the orthopedic department at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, who was killed during his detention in the Israeli Ofer prison.

"Al-Bursh was detained while he was carrying out his duty to patients and caring for them according to his oath as a doctor," Mofokeng said. "He died because he tried to protect the rights of his patients."

She added that Dr. al-Bursh was beaten in prison, as evidenced by the bruises on his body, requiring an independent international investigation into his death.

In a joint statement on May 2, the Higher Committee for Prisoners' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club announced the martyrdom of Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, 50 years old, a consultant and head of the orthopedic department at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, and Ismail Khudair, aged 33.

Both were martyred as a result of torture in Israeli jails, the statement read.  

Martyr al-Bursh was a resident of Jabalia, Northern Gaza. He was arrested by the Israeli forces in January 2024 while carrying out his duties at Al-Awda Hospital with his staff.

Information obtained by Palestinian civil affairs indicated that al-Bursh was martyred in Ofer prison on April 19, 2024, and his body is still being held by Israeli forces. It also reveals that al-Bursh sustained injuries while in an Indonesian hospital approximately five months prior to his death. 

As for Martyr Khudair, his martyrdom occurred subsequent to his arrest. His body was handed over today along with dozens of Gaza detainees who were released through the Karam Abu Salem crossing, as announced by the Borders and Crossings Authority in Gaza.

The Prisoners Committee and the Prisoners Club have confirmed that both martyrs were killed as a result of torture and medical homicide.

The statement notes that al-Bursh's death was a deliberate murder committed by the Israeli regime as part of its genocidal strategies, which include the targeting of health facilities and professionals.

One of many martyrs

With the disclosure of the deaths of al-Bursh and Khudair, the total number of prisoners who have died in Israeli prisons and camps due to torture, medical negligence, and starvation policies has reached 18. This includes those whose deaths have been officially announced and their identities revealed, except for one individual from Gaza whose death was announced without disclosing their identity.

But the Club and Committee say that the figures are much higher than reported. Previous reports have shown that no fewer than 27 detainees from Gaza have been martyred in Israeli prisons and camps.

Available data on detainees remains limited, including names, places of detention, and numbers of detention. The only data declared by the Israeli regime what they labeled "unlawful combatants;" their number from the start of April is 849.

With the martyrdom of al-Bursh, the toll of martyrs in the health sector in Gaza has risen to 496 since October 7th, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The ministry announced that the toll of Israeli crimes against the Palestinian health sector in Gaza has risen to 1,500 wounded and 309 prisoners. It renewed its call to the international community and health and human rights organizations to intervene and protect prisoners from torture, terrorism, and murder.