Haaretz: The Israeli Army Closed Dozens of Criminal Investigations Regarding the Circumstances of the Martyrdom of Gazans Inside Its Prisons

SadaNews Translation - The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz revealed on Friday that the Israeli army has closed dozens of criminal investigations related to the circumstances of the martyrdom of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip while being held in their custody during the war.

According to the newspaper, as translated by SadaNews, the Israeli army opened investigations into the circumstances of their martyrdom, yet none of them resulted in charges, despite most of them occurring inside military detention centers equipped with permanent surveillance cameras and involving numerous witnesses, including soldiers and the Palestinian detainees themselves.

The Israeli army claimed it faced difficulties in collecting evidence.

Data obtained by the Freedom of Information Movement indicates that 57 criminal investigations were opened into the circumstances of the deaths of 56 Gazans and one Lebanese, of which 7 incidents involved gunfire, with the Israeli army unaware of when two of those events occurred; moreover, in most investigations, they were unable to locate the suspects.

According to the data, most investigations into the circumstances of detainee deaths were opened in 2024, when a record number of detainees from Gaza was recorded, with 19 investigations opened into deaths in 2023 (13 of which occurred in October alone), and three investigations in 2025.

Sources speaking to Haaretz stated that some detainees died in custody after being transferred to detention centers while injured, and investigations into their cases were opened due to military procedures that require an automatic inquiry into any death inside a military facility.

Other deaths resulted from illness or lack of adequate medical care.

Concerning incidents of violence, among the 19 investigations opened by the military police on charges of assault, violence, or "illegal use of force," the military prosecution issued only two indictments; the first was against a truck driver who transported detainees to Sde Teiman and was sentenced to six months in prison, while the second indictment was against soldiers from unit 100 on charges of violence against a Gazan detainee, but the case was closed under public pressure and in light of investigative failures, particularly the release of the complaining detainee and his return to Gaza before being interrogated in court.

The newspaper noted that most investigations opened regarding allegations of looting and theft in Gaza and Lebanon did not lead to charges, despite the direct intervention of Chief of Staff Eyal Zamer, who urged units in Lebanon to report these actions.

So far, only one charge of looting and theft has been issued, resulting in a conviction for theft in a plea deal, where a soldier stole money from a house in Gaza and attempted to deposit it, only to discover that the banknotes were counterfeit.

Another indictment was filed regarding the removal of three motorcycles from the Gaza Strip, and in cases where soldiers seized electrical appliances, disciplinary actions were limited to pursuing them.

According to military prosecution data, most of the war-related indictments were for arms trafficking, particularly the removal of rifles and ammunition from combat zones, and in 2025, most indictments focused on crimes related to information security and safety, linked to attempts by Iranian elements to recruit soldiers.