Adnan Al-Bursh, a renowned Gaza surgeon, was tortured to death in Israeli detention, a Palestinian prisoner association announced on Thursday.

His killing has been called a “deliberate assassination” after it was revealed he died on 19 April in Israel’s Ofer detention centre in the occupied West Bank. His body remains withheld by Israel.

Al-Bursh, who studied in the UK, was taken away by Israeli forces at Al-Amal Hospital in Gaza in December, while providing medical treatment to Palestinians injured in Israel’s indiscriminate assault on the besieged enclave.

Prior to his detention, Al-Bursh was renowned for traveling to various hospitals in Gaza to treat patients, even amidst heavy Israeli bombing.

Al-Bursh was also remembered for his efforts during the Great March of Return in 2018-19, when he performed over 28 surgeries in one day on Palestinians injured by Israeli fire.