Bethlehem/ PNN/ 

The Palestinian Authority for Prisoners' Affairs and the Prisoner Club announced the martyrdom of prisoner Muhammad Munir Musa (37 years old) from Bethlehem, who died in Soroka Hospital last Friday, as informed to the Authority by the occupation forces.

In a joint statement on Sunday, the Authority and the Club stated that Musa had been detained by Israeli authorities since April 20, 2023. This was his first arrest, and he was reportedly held in Ramon Prison. He was still in custody at the time of his death. Worth noting that he is married and has three daughters. 

The Authority for Prisoners' Affairs and the Prisoner Club stated that prior to his arrest, prisoner Muhammad Munir Musa did not suffer from any chronic health issues. While there is not enough information regarding the circumstances of his martyrdom, they emphasized that the systematic crimes of the occupation, including torture, medical neglect, and starvation, have been central reasons for the deaths of 40 prisoners since October 7. Musa's death raises the total number of martyrs among prisoners since that date to 41.

The statement continued, noting that since the onset of the ongoing extermination war, the Israeli occupation has committed unprecedented systematic crimes in terms of scale and intensity, continuing these acts in its prisons and camps with the aim of killing and eliminating prisoners under political orders from the highest levels of the occupation's hierarchy. Among those responsible is the far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has openly boasted about committing crimes against prisoners, exploiting the situation to stoke revenge among the Israeli public and inciting violence against Palestinian prisoners.

They highlighted that the ongoing crimes of the occupation, which have reached their peak since the beginning of this extermination war, will inevitably lead to more martyrdoms among prisoners, especially in light of the global inaction against the comprehensive aggression faced by the Palestinian people. This situation poses a serious threat to humanity as more lives are lost.

The Authority and the Club reiterated that this crime adds to the record of the occupation's atrocities over decades, particularly amid the current extermination war. They noted that over 10,100 prisoners are currently held in Israeli prisons, along with hundreds of detainees from Gaza in military camps, all facing horrific conditions that threaten their lives continuously as part of the ongoing extermination war.

The Authority for Prisoners' Affairs and the Prisoner Club held the occupation fully responsible for the martyrdom of Musa and urged international human rights organizations, which have historically failed to act against the occupation's violence, to reclaim their necessary role in holding the occupiers accountable for their crimes.

They further mentioned that the number of martyrs among detainees since October 7 has risen to 41, including 24 from Gaza, while the identities of many others remain concealed by the occupation. This number marks the highest historically in comparison to previous years. With the martyrdom of Musa, the total number of known martyrs from the Palestinian prisoners' movement has reached 278 since 1967.