HWW Update on detained HCWs April 17, 2026

• As of April 17, 2026, Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW) has documented a total of 446 cases of detained/missing Palestinian healthcare workers since October 7, 2023.
• 323 of the 446 detained healthcare workers are now confirmed to have been released
• We have not yet received a status update from the families of 29 detained healthcare workers so these are not included in the ‘confirmed detained’ or ‘confirmed released’ figures.
• Five healthcare workers are still missing (3 senior physicians, an UNRWA pharmacist, and a senior physiotherapist). Their fate is unknown, with no evidence if they have been killed or detained.
• Six healthcare workers (HCWs) are reportedly killed/died in Israeli detention, their bodies have not been returned to their families (2 senior physicians, 2 senior paramedics, a senior nurse, and an administrative staff, all are Gazans).
• 83 healthcare workers are confirmed as ‘currently detained’:
  • 83 Palestinian healthcare workers have been confirmed by HWW to currently be in Israeli detention by contacting their families, lawyers and released detainees.
  • The ‘currently detained’ healthcare workers have spent a total of 55646 days in Israeli detention. On average, each of them has so far spent 670 days in detention (ranging from 149 days to 887 days)
  • Eight ‘currently detained’ healthcare workers are from the West Bank (4 physicians, 2 students, a paramedic, and a nutritionist)
  • 75 ‘currently detained’ healthcare workers are from the Gaza Strip