Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Israeli Autopsy Confirms Starvation Likely Cause of Palestinian Teen’s Death in Prison

Walid Ahmad, 17, died in March after months of medical neglect and malnutrition; his family demands the return of his body as Israeli authorities investigate.

Palestinian women walk past a poster showing Waleed Ahmad that reads in Arabic, "The hero prisoner Martyr, mercy and eternity for our righteous Martyrs," in the West Bank town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Khalid Ahmad holds a poster of his 17-year-old son, Waleed, who died in an Israeli prison, that reads in Arabic, "The hero prisoner Martyr, mercy and eternity for our righteous Martyrs," in the West Bank town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Khalid Ahmad, holds childhood photos of his son, Waleed, at his family home in the West Bank town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
A 17-year-old Palestinian boy - Walid Khalid Ahmad -  died likely died of “prolonged malnutrition” in an Israeli prison, according to an autopsy carried out by an Israeli pathologist.

Overview

  • An Israeli doctor’s report confirmed starvation as the likely cause of Walid Ahmad’s death, compounded by untreated colitis and severe malnutrition.
  • Ahmad, detained without charge for six months, complained of inadequate food and suffered from severe health issues before collapsing in Megiddo Prison in March 2025.
  • The autopsy revealed extreme weight loss, scabies, and signs of prolonged malnutrition, highlighting systemic neglect in Israeli detention facilities.
  • Israeli authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances of Ahmad’s death, but his family has yet to receive a death certificate or his body for burial.
  • Rights groups report worsening conditions in Israeli prisons since the Gaza war began, with 72 Palestinian detainees dying in custody, including Ahmad.