Wednesday, September 27, 2023
The suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons continues, where they are subjected to systematic killing through various racist policies, including medical neglect, denial of healthcare, administrative detention, and physical and psychological torture. This plight coincides with Palestinian Prisoners' Day, observed annually on April 17.
The deteriorating health condition of prisoner Walid Daqqa underscores this reality. Daqqa recently had part of his right lung removed and is now in intensive care. Meanwhile, prisoner Khader Adnan, on hunger strike for 73 days, is in critical condition, with human rights organizations warning of his imminent death.
Commenting on these cases, Awad Al-Sultan, head of the Martyrs, Prisoners, and Wounded Office in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told Gateway Al-Hadaf that "Walid Daqqa's health is critically endangered due to the medical negligence practiced by the occupation." Daqqa was diagnosed last year with Myelofibrosis, a rare form of bone marrow cancer that developed from leukemia diagnosed in 2015.
Al-Sultan pointed out that "Daqqa requires intensive medical care for his lungs, kidneys, and blood, in addition to a highly sensitive bone marrow transplant, despite the availability of donors. Such procedures demand specific medical environments that are utterly absent in Israeli prisons."
He emphasized that Daqqa defied his captors by fathering a daughter through smuggled sperm and through his pen and writings. "The occupation seeks to assassinate his pen and dreams because he succeeded in conveying the truth from within the prison and triumphing over his oppressors," Al-Sultan added.
Al-Sultan explained that "medical neglect is a systematic killing tool employed by the occupation as part of its arsenal of torture against prisoners. The so-called prison clinics, such as those in Ramle, Soroka, and Barzilai, serve as slow-death chambers rather than healthcare providers. These clinics lack the basic components of medical care, and their doctors are complicit in the system of oppression."
Speaking to Al-Hadaf about prisoners who have died or suffer illnesses due to medical neglect, Al-Sultan stated, "The number of martyrs has reached 76, with 12 of their bodies still withheld. Additionally, there are 714 sick prisoners, including 25 with cancer or critical conditions like Daqqa's, who could succumb at any time, while others suffer from chronic and multiple illnesses."
Al-Sultan highlighted that Israeli authorities attempt to break prisoners' hunger strikes by depriving them of medical care. He stated, "When a prisoner begins a hunger strike, the Israeli Prison Service seeks to end it to claim victory over the prisoner, ensuring they gain nothing from their struggle."
He added, "In recent years, the occupation has viewed medical neglect as a successful method to assassinate prisoners without facing international condemnation."
Al-Sultan also pointed out that prisoners suffer extreme environmental conditions, with prisons located in desert areas causing freezing cold winters and scorching summers, compounded by infestations of insects spreading diseases among prisoners.
This year witnessed severe violations against prisoners, particularly through administrative detention. This practice involves military commanders issuing detention orders ranging from one to six months, renewable indefinitely, without trial or charges, rendering it illegal under international standards.
Dr. Raafat Hamdouna, an expert in prisoner issues, described administrative detention as "a sword hanging over the necks of Palestinian detainees, sanctioned by the Shin Bet and Israeli military courts. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have fallen victim to this arbitrary detention."
Hamdouna explained, "Administrative detention allows the occupation to imprison Palestinians without specific charges or trials, citing secret evidence inaccessible to the detainee or their lawyer. These orders are often renewed multiple times, based on British Emergency Laws, which contradict democratic values and human rights principles."
He added, "The Israeli prison administration employs punitive and retaliatory measures against prisoners protesting administrative detention through hunger strikes. These include denying family visits, obstructing lawyer communications, frequent transfers, isolating prisoners in inhumane cells, and harassment by guards around the clock."
These oppressive measures often push prisoners to hunger strikes to confront their jailers, with many achieving success, as exemplified by Khader Adnan, who has been on hunger strike for 72 days.
Regarding the role of institutions concerned with prisoners, Hamdouna stated, "Their role goes beyond documentation. They must work toward internationalizing the prisoners' cause as a just and humanitarian issue that can easily gain global support."
He emphasized the diverse roles these institutions play, including "raising international awareness through media, exposing the occupation's crimes, and pursuing legal avenues by collaborating with human rights organizations to bring the issue to global forums."
Hamdouna also stressed the importance of incorporating the prisoners' plight in political dialogues, international negotiations, and diplomatic efforts by the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He called for cooperation with international solidarity movements, urging them to go beyond local activities.
Currently, Israeli authorities hold approximately 4,900 Palestinian prisoners, including 31 women and 160 minors under the age of 18, in its prisons.
Source: Gateway Al-Hadaf