The Israeli authorities placed Bani Mufleh under administrative detention in June 2025, and released him in January 2026.
Two photos of Palestinian journalist Mujahid Bani Mufleh, one before his arrest and the other after his release from Israeli prisons, have drawn new attention to allegations surrounding conditions inside Israeli prisons.
Citing his case, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Association said the journalist’s significant physical deterioration reflects the treatment to which many Palestinian detainees are subjected, a claim that has renewed scrutiny of the Israeli prison system.In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Public Prosecution described the case of Bani Mufleh as evidence of what it called the “slow and direct killing” of Palestinian prisoners. The organization said that his case was not an isolated case, but rather represented thousands of detainees who, as it claimed, were subjected to systematic violations, including torture and medical neglect, while being held in Israeli prisons.The Israeli authorities placed Bani Mufleh under administrative detention in June 2025 and released him in January 2026. According to the Public Prosecution, he suffered a severe brain hemorrhage two days after his release and was taken to hospital in critical condition. He subsequently underwent several surgeries, and continues to receive treatment for complications that the organization says are linked to his detention.In testimony he gave after his release, Bani Mufleh described what he said were the physical and emotional difficulties he experienced in prison.
He said he learned the meaning of hunger when “a morsel of bread becomes an unattainable dream,” and the meaning of humiliation when the simplest aspects of daily life are taken away and placed entirely under the control of prison authorities.He also said that he experienced “the cruelty of the nights when their hours become a heavy burden of suffering, anxiety, and fear of the unknown,” adding that his lengthy medical treatment taught him “the meaning of helplessness, when the simplest daily movements become an achievement worthy of celebration.”According to Beni Mufleh, this experience radically changed his appreciation for daily necessities, including adequate food, clean drinking water, freedom of movement, safe sleep, and the ability to live in dignity.The prosecution said that it documented the release of hundreds of former detainees from Israeli prisons in severely deteriorated physical and psychological condition. It claimed that many of these cases went unreported because former prisoners and their families feared re-arrest, while others died shortly after their release due to complications related to their detention.The organization also said that the conflict has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the targeting of Palestinian journalists, claiming that more than 245 journalists have been arrested since the beginning of the war, along with hundreds of deaths in Gaza.Bani Mufleh, a father of three from Nablus in the occupied West Bank, said he was transferred between several detention centers, including Megiddo and Negev prisons. He also claimed to have witnessed the death of two fellow detainees while in custody, claiming that one died after being sprayed with pepper spray, while another, named only as Ahmed, died after seeking medical treatment after being attacked by a police dog.
These allegations have not been independently verified.Israel has previously rejected allegations of systematic abuse of Palestinian detainees, and has maintained that its detention policies, including the use of administrative detention, are implemented in accordance with Israeli law and security requirements.