Gaza Genocide17 July, 20262 min read
Israeli Military Closes 57 Investigations Into Gaza And Lebanon Detainee Deaths Without Indictments
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Israeli army opened 57 investigations into detainee deaths from Gaza and Lebanon. Most investigations concerned deaths inside detention facilities, including seven gunfire cases.
No indictments after probes
The Israeli military opened 57 criminal investigations into the deaths of detainees from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon during the Gaza war, but none of the cases resulted in indictments against those responsible. The investigations covered the deaths of 56 Palestinians and one Lebanese detainee, including seven shooting incidents that led to the immediate death of detainees. The sources say the army justified its lack of concrete results by citing "complexities of proof" tied to field combat conditions and said it could not identify suspects.
The data also show that 2024 saw the largest number of investigations, alongside widespread arrest campaigns in the Gaza Strip, with 19 investigations opened in the last quarter of 2023 and three new investigations initiated at the beginning of 2025. In a related context, the sources say investigations into looting of civilian property in Gaza and Lebanon faced a similar lack of accountability, with only one indictment recorded for looting.
Evidence, dates, and closures
Haaretz reported that the Israeli army closed dozens of criminal investigations into the deaths of Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip during the war, with none leading to charges. The reporting says military police opened 19 investigations into suspicions of violence or assault or the unlawful use of force, but the military prosecution brought only two indictments. In the detainee-death files, Haaretz said the army justified closing the cases by "difficulties in gathering evidence" even though the events occurred inside facilities under its full control.
Haaretz also said the army does not yet know the dates of two shootings that killed detainees, and that in most files it was unable to identify suspects. For assaults, Haaretz described an indictment against a truck driver transporting detainees to the Sde Teiman detention facility that resulted in a six-month prison sentence, while a second case involving soldiers from Unit 100 was closed after the detainee was released and returned to Gaza before testifying in court.
Detention conditions and numbers
The sources tie the investigation record to continuing scrutiny of detention conditions, including claims that some detainees died after arriving at detention facilities injured and that other deaths were attributed to illness or lack of medical care. Haaretz-linked reporting says investigations into detainee deaths began automatically under a military procedure requiring an inquiry into any death occurring inside a military facility. The reporting also describes the broader stakes for Palestinian detainees, saying the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons rose by about 83% since the Gaza war began in October 2023, to over 9,600 detainees, compared with about 5,250 before the war.
In the looting and theft context, the sources say Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir urged military units to report such incidents, but most investigations ended without charges, with only one conviction recorded for stealing money from a house in Gaza that turned out to be counterfeit currency. The sources further say another indictment involved a soldier taking three motorcycles out of Gaza, while other cases involving seizure of electrical appliances were handled through internal disciplinary procedures.