In a tragic incident that has sparked outrage and concern, Dr Adnan al-Barash, a prominent Palestinian doctor from Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital, has died after more than four months of detention in an Israeli jail. The news of his death was confirmed by Gaza's health ministry and organizations advocating for Palestinian prisoners.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Committee and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, Dr al-Barash, head of orthopaedics at Gaza's largest medical facility, was detained by Israeli forces while providing temporary treatment to patients at al-Awda Hospital in the northern region of the territory. The organizations issued a joint statement on Thursday, blaming Israel for the death and describing it as an "assassination."

With Dr al-Barash's passing, the Ministry of Health in Gaza has stated that the total number of medical personnel killed since the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza in October has now reached 496. Placing the responsibility on Israel, the ministry expressed concerns about the secrecy surrounding the condition of prisoners, especially those arrested from the Gaza Strip.

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, expressed her alarm at the news, stating that no Palestinian is safe under Israel's occupation. She called on UN member states to take immediate action to protect the Palestinians.

According to the prisoners' groups, Dr al-Barash died on April 19, allegedly as a result of torture, as part of what they claim to be a systematic targeting of doctors and the health system in Gaza. The Israeli prison service issued a statement on the same day, confirming the death but providing no details about the cause. They mentioned that the incident is under investigation.

The Israeli army responded to inquiries about the reported death, stating that they were not aware of the incident. However, Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, a British Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in Gaza's medical facilities during the initial weeks of the war, claimed that Dr al-Barash was "tortured to death" by Israeli prison guards in their secret detention sites.

Dr al-Barash, 50, was arrested along with a group of doctors in December at al-Awda Hospital near the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The fate of the other doctors remains unknown, and their bodies are being held by the Israeli authorities.

Attacks on medical facilities and health workers violate international humanitarian law, as stated in the Geneva Conventions. The health ministry in Gaza reported that around 1,500 medical workers had been injured during the war, with 309 currently imprisoned in Israeli jails.

The ministry has called on the international community, as well as health and human rights organizations, to intervene and protect prisoners held by Israel. While Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes, no evidence has been provided to support these claims. Both Hamas and medical staff have denied such allegations. The death of Dr al-Barash adds to the growing concerns over the safety and well-being of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.