Israeli Police Investigate 19 Guards in Connection with Death of Palestinian Prisoner

Israeli police announced on Thursday that they are investigating 19 Israeli guards regarding the death of a 38-year-old Palestinian security prisoner named Thaer Abu Aasb. Abu Aasb, who was arrested in 2005, was serving a 25-year sentence for attempted murder. According to the Associated Press, the 'Palestinian Prisoners Club,' a Palestinian advocacy group, reported that there were 'signs of severe violence' on Thaer Abu Aasb's body. He died in mid-October at the Ketziot prison in the southern Negev desert. The club has called for investigations, including an autopsy. Initially, Israeli police told the group that identifying the guards was difficult due to their helmets. On Thursday, police announced the investigation into the guards. The Israeli Prison Service stated that it is cooperating. The Palestinian Prisoners Club claims that there are currently about 7,800 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Human rights activists say that following the war between Israel and Hamas, the number of detainees held without trial or charges has reached unprecedented levels. Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, backed by the Islamic Republic, targeted Israel with extensive terrorist attacks on October 7, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas and Islamic Jihad as terrorist organizations. Israeli attacks on Gaza have intensified; negotiations for a ceasefire continue. Shin Bet: Iran's efforts to create a 'social rift' in Israel have been thwarted.