Criminal10/13/2026

Father of Man Convicted of Murdering Abu Khdeir Demands Investigation Into His Son’s Death

Rabbi Saadia Ben David petitioned the court to investigate the death of his son, Yosef Haim Ben David, at Hasharon Prison. The family claims that repeated warnings about the sharp deterioration in his health did not receive an appropriate response, while the Israel Prison Service said that an internal investigation into the case is underway.

Key facts

•Deceased: Yosef Haim Ben David, 42
•Date of death: September 24
•Place of death: Hasharon Prison
•Sentence: life imprisonment plus an additional 20 years
•The Supreme Court rejected the appeal in 2018
•The source did not provide a separate case number

Who Was the Deceased Prisoner?

Yosef Haim Ben David was convicted of abducting and murdering 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir in July 2014, a crime committed with the participation of two minors. He was sentenced to life imprisonment plus an additional 20 years. In 2018, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, which was based on a claim of mental incapacity.

What Does the Family Claim?

Ben David died on September 24 at the age of 42 in Hasharon Prison. According to his father, the prisoner’s condition deteriorated after he was transferred from Ayalon Prison during the summer and after a change in psychiatric medication, which the family claims was not supervised. The petition stated that attorneys and family members had requested medical and psychiatric treatment for him over several weeks.

Warnings Before the Death

According to published reports, attorney Yitzhak Nativ informed the prison staff after the transfer that Ben David was extremely confused, was suffering from memory problems, and was unable to say whether he had taken medication. On September 2, attorney Eran Schwartz wrote to the prison commander that during a family visit the prisoner suffered convulsions and trembled, barely spoke, and was in a state of stupor, and he then demanded that Ben David be transferred urgently to a psychiatric ward. One day before his death, Ben David was transferred to the Israel Prison Service psychiatric center, but he was returned to his cell that same night.

What Was the Israel Prison Service’s Response?

The Israel Prison Service said that the circumstances of the death are being examined by its internal investigation committee, as is customary when a prisoner dies. The service emphasized that it operates in accordance with the law and that medical treatment is provided according to prisoners’ condition and professional medical opinion. Because of medical confidentiality, the service declined to disclose details of Ben David’s condition and the treatment provided to him; the source did not state the court’s decision regarding the father’s petition.

What this means for you

The filing of the petition does not in itself mean that the court determined that medical negligence occurred or that the Israel Prison Service was responsible. For prisoners and their families, the case illustrates the importance of submitting documented requests to prison authorities when a serious deterioration in health occurs. As of publication, only an internal examination by the Israel Prison Service is known to be underway, and the outcome of the petition filed with the court has not been published.

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Case analysis based on court rulings