Palestinian administrative detainee, Omar Hamza Hassan Daraghmeh, died in Megiddo Prison last night in mysterious circumstances, the Palestinian Information Centre reported.

The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement that the Israeli occupation arrested 58-year-old Daraghmeh, along with his son Hamza, on 9 October, and placed them under administrative detention – without charge or trial – for six months.

The statement pointed out that a court session was held for Daraghmeh earlier today via video conference in the Ofer Military Court, in presence of his lawyer, Ashraf Abu Sneineh, who asked him about his health and he replied that he was in good health.

The statement stressed that the Israeli narrative about the circumstances of his death was and will remain questionable.

The joint statement held the occupation fully responsible for the crime, which first began with Daraghmeh’s administrative arrest without charge, under the pretext of a “secret file.”

Several detainees who have recently been detained confirmed that they were subjected to severe abuse and beatings. 

Political experts have said the increase in Israel’s arrest campaign in the occupied West Bank is an effort to ensure it has a large pool of Palestinians should a prisoner swap deal be made with Palestinian resistance in Gaza who are currently holding more than 200 Israeli prisoners of war.