Full Breakdown
Death of Saber Amitel in Israeli Custody Sparks Calls for Investigation
6/26/2026, 12:56:37 AM
Core Event: Fatality in Custody
On 20 June 2024, Saber Amitel, a 21-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel, died at Barzilai Hospital after being transferred from Shikma prison. His body was moved to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine for an external examination; the family declined a full autopsy for religious reasons.
Background & Context
Amitel, a Bedouin from the Negev, worked as a locksmith and welder and had no prior criminal record. He was arrested on suspicion of arms smuggling. The detention came after the October 2023 Gaza conflict, during which widely believed that at least 100 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli custody, a figure likely underestimated.
Timeline
- Early June 2024: Arrest by Shin Bet, transfer to Shikma prison; denied lawyer.
- Two days later: Family learns from police of his detention after searching.
- 7 June: Shin Bet reports alleged suicide attempt.
- 8 June: Lawyers see severe bruising at Barzilai Hospital; staff say he arrived in that condition.
- 20 June: Amitel dies; body sent to forensic centre for external exam.
Official Statements & Responses
Shin Bet said Amitel was interrogated lawfully and attempted self-harm on 7 June, prompting his hospital transfer. Police conveyed the alleged suicide to his attorneys and family. The Israel Prison Service declined personal details, stating the circumstances are under review by competent authorities.
Criticism & Opposition
Attorneys Esther Bar Zion and Victor Ozen filed an urgent petition with the Beersheba District Court against the Israel Prison Service, Shin Bet, police, and Barzilai Medical Centre, demanding a court-ordered inquiry, CCTV footage, duty logs, and full medical records. They called the death inconceivable for a healthy, record-free worker. The family rejected the suicide claim, alleging torture.
On-the-Ground Reports
On 8 June, Odeh Amitel said his son was “hooked up to machines,” “like a vegetable,” with non-functioning brain activity. He noted severe bruising and that medical staff told the family the detainee arrived in that condition.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The family’s bruising account conflicts with Shin Bet’s suicide narrative. No autopsy is planned, only an external exam, limiting forensic insight. Authorities have not released CCTV or duty logs, leaving key evidence unavailable.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He was like a vegetable; his brain wasn't functioning," Odeh told Haaretz.” — Odeh Amitel, father
- “There's no law in this country anymore; people are being killed under torture.” — Odeh Amitel, father
- “It is inconceivable that the police and Shin Bet detained a young man, healthy in body and mind, with no criminal record, who worked long hours at a factory supporting his family, and returned him to his family as a dead body," his attorneys Esther Bar Zion and Victor Ozen told Haaretz.” — Esther Bar Zion and Victor Ozen, attorneys
What’s Next
The petition seeks a judicial inquiry, access to prison CCTV, duty logs, and complete medical documentation; the external forensic examination is pending, and the court’s ruling will determine further investigative steps.
