Palestinian ‘doctor of the poor’ says he faces abuse, medical neglect in Israeli prison

Palestinian ‘doctor of the poor’ says he faces abuse, medical neglect in Israeli prison Submitted by Bilge Kotan on Sun, 08/02/2026 - 19:37 The 71-year-old physician, well known for providing care to low-income Palestinians, was arrested in the occupied West Bank in June News of Rantisi’s detention prompted widespread condemnation (Screengrab/X/@Mistaclim) Off Dr Mazen Rantisi, a 71-year-old Palestinian physician popularly described as the “doctor of the poor”, says he has suffered physical abuse and medical neglect since Israeli authorities detained him more than a month ago, Haaretz reported on Sunday. The doctor, known for often waiving fees, supplying medicines and operating a clinic that serves as a refuge for low-income Palestinians, was detained in a pre-dawn raid on his home in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 21 June. Prosecutors later indicted him for serving as chairman of the board of the Union of Health Work Committees, a Palestinian non-profit that provides medical care to thousands of Palestinians each year.