Judge Ends Investigation Into Teen’s Prison Death Despite Starvation Evidence

An Israeli judge has terminated an investigation into the death of 17-year-old Palestinian Walid Ahmad in prison, despite autopsy findings indicating starvation. The judge ruled that while evidence shows the teenager was starved, investigators could not definitively link his malnourished state to his death.

JERUSALEM (AP) — A recently unsealed court document reveals that an Israeli judge has terminated an investigation into a Palestinian teenager’s death in custody, ruling that while the 17-year-old clearly suffered from starvation, investigators cannot definitively establish what killed him.

The decision offers new details about Israel’s approach to the controversial case involving Walid Ahmad, who Palestinian authorities say became the youngest Palestinian to die while in Israeli custody.

Ahmad’s family described him as being in good health before his arrest. He spent half a year at Israel’s Megiddo detention facility before collapsing this past March. While his autopsy failed to pinpoint one specific cause of death, an Israeli physician who witnessed the examination reported that starvation appeared to be the primary factor.

The unsealed decision, initially reported by Israeli newspaper Haaretz and later shared with The Associated Press, shows that Judge Ehud Kaplan ordered the investigation’s closure in December despite the autopsy results. Kaplan determined that proof of Ahmad’s starvation was insufficient to establish the cause of death.

“The fact that he was apparently starved cannot be hidden and should not be hidden,” Judge Kaplan stated in the ruling. “But I cannot determine based on the findings of the expert report that there is a causal connection between his poor physical condition and his death, and therefore I cannot determine that the death was caused by a crime.”

The judge continued: “Given this state of affairs, the investigation into his death is exhausted.”

Under Israeli law, judges may oversee investigations when detainees die in custody. These judicial officials can examine evidence to determine death causes and investigate potential wrongdoing. When evidence of misconduct emerges, judges can pursue criminal charges or, as happened with Ahmad’s case, halt the investigation entirely.

Haaretz obtained access to the ruling after successfully petitioning to have a gag order removed from the case. Most details of the decision remain confidential beyond the judge’s conclusion.

This situation has drawn attention to how Israel handles Palestinian prisoners, especially minors, within its correctional system.

According to his family, Ahmad was taken from his residence in the occupied West Bank community of Silwad during an early morning operation in September 2024, accused of hurling rocks at military personnel. His attorney, Firas al-Jabrini, reported that Israeli officials rejected multiple requests to meet with Ahmad before his death. Ahmad’s father, Khalid Ahmad, said his son was awaiting another court appearance when he died.

Dr. Daniel Solomon, the Israeli physician who observed the autopsy, documented that Ahmad suffered from severe malnutrition and displayed symptoms of colon inflammation and scabies. Solomon indicated that Ahmad likely had colitis, a medical condition causing frequent diarrhea that can sometimes be fatal.

Solomon’s findings also referenced prison medical records showing Ahmad had complained about insufficient food portions for several months.

Human rights organizations have documented extensive mistreatment, including inadequate nutrition and water supplies, at Israeli detention facilities since the October 7, 2023 start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Former prisoners have described to the AP deplorable conditions including physical violence, extreme overcrowding, limited healthcare, scabies outbreaks, and unsanitary environments.

Israeli rights organization B’Tselem reported that as of late September, Israel’s Prison Service held 350 Palestinian minors on what officials termed “security” charges, based on government statistics. An additional 110 Palestinian youth were detained for unauthorized presence in Israel.

Neither Israel’s prison service nor police responded to requests for comment.

The prison service maintains it follows legal requirements and provides all inmates with fundamental rights.

Ahmad’s father informed the AP that Israeli authorities continue to hold his son’s remains. The family has filed court papers seeking the body’s return.

“What is happening in Israeli prisons is a real tragedy, as there is no value for life,” he told the AP in April 2025.