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

Palestinian officials view this delayed confirmation as part of a broader pattern by Israel to conceal the fate of detainees held since the conflict in Gaza escalated. Diab was detained on December 12, 2023, and the commission believes he died around September 18, 2024, after approximately nine months in custody.

During his detention, the commission alleges Diab was subjected to torture. Israeli authorities, however, stated that Diab had an underlying health condition. His family has refuted this claim, asserting that he was in good health at the time of his arrest and had no pre-existing illnesses.

Diab's death raises the total number of Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli custody since 1967 to 328. The commission notes that 91 of these deaths have occurred since October 7, 2023, with 53 of those individuals being from Gaza.

Gaza's Prisoners' Ministry has placed full responsibility on the Israeli government and prison administration, citing alleged evidence of torture, medical neglect, and brutal detention conditions. The ministry is calling for an international investigation, accountability for those responsible, the return of Diab's body to his family, and disclosure regarding the status of all Gaza detainees whom Israel is accused of concealing.

This case emerges amid increasing international scrutiny of Israel's detention practices. Thousands of Palestinians are reportedly held under various forms of detention, including administrative detention, which allows for indefinite holding based on secret evidence without formal charges. As of August, Israeli rights group HaMoked reported that Israel was holding nearly 8,000 "security" prisoners, with 3,198 in administrative detention. These figures do not include additional Palestinians detained from Gaza, who are classified separately by Israel as "unlawful combatants."

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has documented a significant increase in detainee deaths following the escalation of conflict. This delayed confirmation in Diab's case highlights ongoing concerns about transparency and the treatment of Palestinian detainees within the Israeli prison system.

Further details surrounding the specific circumstances of Diab's detention and the exact cause of death remain unclear, pending the results of any potential international investigations or further disclosures from Israeli authorities. The family's insistence on torture and Israel's claims of a pre-existing condition present conflicting narratives that underscore the need for independent verification.