Profiling a Palestinian Prisoner: Starvation, Medical Neglect, Brain Hemorrhage
Palestinian journalist Mujahid Bani Mufleh is still undergoing intensive treatment six months after his release from Israeli prison, where he says he lost nearly 20 kilograms due to starvation and medical neglect before suffering a severe brain hemorrhage days after being freed.
Bani Mufleh is currently being treated at Ibn Sina Specialized Hospital in Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank. After falling into a coma, he underwent multiple surgeries, including a procedure in which part of his skull was removed. He now requires assistance with movement, swallowing and speech.
The journalist said prison conditions, including starvation and lack of medical care, severely worsened his health, particularly as he suffers from diabetes.
Speaking to Anadolu from his hospital bed, he recalled how his condition deteriorated during detention.
“I entered prison weighing 72 kilograms, and when I came out, my weight was in the early 50s,” he said.
“I lost a large part of it because of hunger. We slept hungry, and the food they gave us was not enough,” he added.
He said his condition worsened further due to lack of access to diabetes treatment.
“Since the beginning of my detention, I did not receive the proper medication, I did not undergo any medical test, and I did not know my blood sugar level. The food was very little,” he said.
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot use it effectively, leading to elevated blood glucose levels that can damage organs over time if untreated.
Israel arrested Bani Mufleh in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, in June 2025 and released him in January 2026, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society.
Released into collapse
Bani Mufleh said his release came unexpectedly after his detention had been extended. He said prison authorities informed him he would be transferred, and he was not given a chance to say goodbye to other detainees.
“I was surprised that they released me. I did not even know I was going to get out,” he said.
“They took me out at midnight, and four hours later I found myself in the open, in the bitter cold of the Negev desert. I was shaking badly,” he added.
He said his health deteriorated rapidly after release. Medical tests later showed high blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
“I was doing an interview with a fellow journalist, speaking about what I had lived through in prison, and it seems that recalling those details was more than my body could bear, so I lost consciousness,” he said.
He was taken to a hospital in Nablus, where doctors diagnosed a severe brain hemorrhage. He later fell into a coma and underwent successive surgeries.
Life after detention
After regaining consciousness, Bani Mufleh said his life had changed completely and he is now unable to perform basic daily tasks.
“I was a person full of life. I worked for long hours. Today, I am almost unable to do the simplest tasks,” he said.
“I need others to help me move and get around. I lost the ability to speak and swallow, and I am still going through a long treatment journey,” he added.
He said his condition has also affected his relationship with his three children.
“I used to spend a lot of time at home beside them, teaching them and providing everything they needed. Today, I can no longer do that,” he said.
“I miss their laughter, and I hope to return to the father I used to be,” he added.
‘A photo that shows the truth’
Bani Mufleh said a Facebook post showing his post-surgery condition was intended to document his experience after detention.
The image shows part of his skull removed following brain surgery, with visible signs of severe weight loss.
“I wanted to show people the truth,” he said.
“Many friends objected to publishing the photo because they said it was not beautiful, but I have nothing to fear. Here I am today, and this is my condition,” he added.
He said he continues to think about his life before imprisonment, including his work in journalism and farming.
“I miss the old Mujahid,” he said, adding that he had cultivated land with dozens of trees before his arrest.
“My wife and children are always around me, and they hope I will return to the way I was,” he said.
Thousands of cases
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said last week that Israeli prisons have become a tool of “slow and direct killing” against Palestinian detainees.
It said Bani Mufleh’s case reflects wider conditions faced by thousands of Palestinians, including starvation, medical neglect and other violations in custody.
The group said more than 245 Palestinian journalists have been detained by Israel since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
It added that Israeli forces have carried out near-daily raids across the occupied West Bank since October 2023, resulting in widespread arrests and searches.
According to Palestinian figures, Israel has arrested about 23,000 Palestinians from the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, including women, children and former prisoners.
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