A Sky News investigation published on November 16 has uncovered harrowing details surrounding the torture and death of Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, a renowned Palestinian surgeon from Gaza, at Israel’s Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank last May.
The final moments of Palestinian Doctor Adnan Al-Bursh's life have been revealed through claims made in new testimony by an inmate at the Israeli prison where he died.
Sky’s John Sparks has been speaking to those who saw him in his final days.
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Dr. Bursh, widely regarded as one of Gaza’s most skilled orthopedic surgeons, was abducted by Israeli forces during the war on Gaza in late 2023. He had been working tirelessly to save lives amid relentless Israeli airstrikes. Initially based at Al-Shifa Hospital, where he served as head of orthopedic surgery, Dr. Bursh worked around the clock, operating on countless patients injured by the bombings.
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When Israeli forces besieged the hospital in November, staff fled under duress. Dr. Bursh escaped on foot to the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, continuing his life-saving work despite constant shelling, which he documented on video.
Following a deadly Israeli attack on the Indonesian Hospital that killed 12 people, Dr. Bursh relocated to Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza. However, Israeli forces surrounded Al-Awda, threatening to destroy it with women and children inside unless all men surrendered. According to a colleague, Dr. Mohammad Obeid, the soldiers specifically called out Dr. Bursh’s name before “roughly” detaining him.
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Dr. Bursh was taken to the infamous Sde Teiman detention camp in the Negev Desert, a facility notorious for reports of torture and sexual violence against inmates. Former detainees, including Dr. Khalid Hamouda, have testified about the brutal conditions at Sde Teiman, where healthcare workers like Dr. Bursh were among those targeted. Beaten severely and suffering from what he believed were broken ribs, Dr. Bursh struggled to perform basic tasks like using the toilet.
Despite his deteriorating health, Dr. Bursh was transferred to Ofer Prison, where he was never charged with any crime or terrorism-related offense. Testimony provided to HaMoked, an Israeli human rights organization, by a fellow prisoner at Ofer describes the final days of Dr. Bursh’s life. The prisoner, who had previously known him in Gaza, recounted how guards brought Dr. Bursh to Section 23 of the prison in mid-April 2024 in a visibly abused state, with injuries all over his body and naked from the waist down. He was thrown into the prison yard, unable to stand. Another prisoner helped him to a room, but within minutes, screams erupted, signaling Dr. Bursh’s death.
The Sky News report highlights that Dr. Bursh’s death is among at least 43 fatalities in Israeli prisons since October 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. His case underscores growing concerns about the treatment of Palestinian detainees, with reports of systemic abuse, torture, and neglect in Israeli detention facilities. Dr. Bursh’s contributions to his community, especially during times of crisis, have left an indelible legacy, making his tragic death a profound loss for Gaza and beyond.