Israel has confirmed that Ihab Mohammed Abdel Qader Diab, a 36-year-old Palestinian detainee from Gaza, died while in detention nearly two years after his death, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. The Israeli Prison Service informed the commission on Sunday, August 9, 2026, about Diab's death.

Diab was detained on December 12, 2023, and the commission believes he died around September 18, 2024, after approximately nine months in custody. The commission alleges that his detention involved torture. Diab's family disputes Israeli claims that his death was due to health issues, instead alleging that torture was the cause.

Palestinian officials say this case fits a broader pattern of Israel concealing the fate of detainees held since the conflict in Gaza escalated. Diab's death raises the total number of Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli custody since 1967 to 328, including 91 since October 7, 2023, with 53 of those from Gaza.

As of August 2026, Israeli rights group HaMoked reported that Israel is holding nearly 8,000 "security" prisoners, including 3,198 in administrative detention—held on secret evidence without formal charges, under orders that can be renewed indefinitely.

Sources