Family of Convicted Killer Seeks Prison Death Investigation

The father of Yosef Haim Ben David, who was convicted of murdering 16-year-old Muhammad Abu Khdeir in 2014, has petitioned the court through the Honenu organization to investigate the circumstances of his son's death. Ben David passed away at HaSharon Prison at the age of 42, following weeks of alleged medical neglect and an unmonitored change in his psychiatric medication.

Warnings and Deterioration in Prison

According to the legal filing, Ben David's mental and physical health drastically deteriorated after he was transferred from Ayalon Prison to HaSharon Prison over the summer. Relatives and legal representatives repeatedly warned prison authorities about his worsening condition, noting severe confusion, memory loss, tremors, and catatonic states. A day before his death, Ben David was briefly hospitalized at the Israel Prison Service (IPS) psychiatric center but was returned to his cell the same night.

"This is a clear medical failure wrapped in institutional failure and indifference," representatives for the family stated in the court petition, adding that relatives learned of his death through media reports before being officially notified.

Background of the Conviction

The case dates back to July 2014, when Ben David and two minors abducted Muhammad Abu Khdeir from Shuafat in East Jerusalem, beating and burning him to death in the Jerusalem Forest. Ben David was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment plus 20 years. In 2018, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, in which he had argued insanity.

In response to the petition, the Israel Prison Service stated that an internal inquiry committee is investigating the circumstances of the death, as is standard procedure for inmate fatalities. The IPS emphasized that all prisoners receive medical care according to their condition and professional medical judgment, noting that confidential medical details cannot be publicly disclosed.