Deterioration of the Health Condition of Prisoner Mohammad Jamal al- Natsheh… A Flagrant Violation of the Occupying Power’s Obligations Under International Humanitarian Law
21/10/2025 – Union for Justice Organization
This human rights report has been prepared by the Union for Justice Organization as part of its ongoing work to document Israeli violations against Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons and to monitor their legal and humanitarian conditions, particularly cases that pose a direct threat to life and represent a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
This report focuses on the critical health condition of prisoner Mohammad Jamal al- Natsheh, aged 67, one of the veteran detainees who has spent a total of 23 years in Israeli detention—most of them under administrative detention without clear charges or a fair trial, including six years in solitary confinement and ten consecutive years, in flagrant violation of the principles of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
He continues to be held under harsh detention conditions and deliberate medical neglect that amount to a form of slow execution.
Prisoner al-Natsheh was most recently arrested on 11 March 2025, during the holy month of Ramadan, and spent two days in Ofer Prison before being transferred to an interrogation center for ten consecutive days. During the interrogation period, he was subjected to severe physical assaults and brutal beatings, which led to a sharp deterioration in his health condition, necessitating his transfer to Hadassah Hospital in a state of complete unconsciousness.
Medical examinations at the hospital revealed that he was suffering from acute kidney failure, internal bleeding in several parts of his body—particularly the head—and a dangerously high fever.
After a week in the hospital, he was transferred to Ramla Prison Hospital, only to be taken back to Hadassah Hospital following a further deterioration in his condition, amid complete blackout by the occupation authorities regarding his medical status and continued denial of contact with his family or lawyer.
During his detention, several court sessions were scheduled for al-Natsheh, but he was unable to attend any of them due to his critical health condition. His trial was repeatedly postponed without any consideration for his humanitarian situation.
Despite the family’s appeals to a number of international and human rights organizations—including the International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and local and international human rights groups—all attempts to obtain accurate information about his condition or to secure permission to visit him have failed.
The family holds the occupation authorities fully responsible for their son’s life, affirming that what he is subjected to constitutes an attempted killing and a slow execution. They demand urgent intervention from human rights and humanitarian organizations to save his life, ensure he receives the necessary medical care, and secure his immediate release.
Testimonies from several prisoners released under the recent exchange deal indicate that al- Natsheh is suffering from memory loss and significant deterioration in physical and psychological awareness. He is in urgent need of specialized medical care and immediate supervision.
The continued detention of Mohammad Jamal al- Natsheh despite his deteriorating health and the failure to provide him with necessary medical treatment constitute a blatant violation of Article (76) of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which obligates the occupying power to ensure the safety and health of detainees. This places the occupation authorities before serious legal and humanitarian responsibilities.
The family renews its appeal to all international human rights and medical organizations to urgently intervene, follow up on his case in the field, pressure the occupation authorities to allow an independent medical committee to visit him, and secure his immediate release based on his critical health condition.
