Death of former prisoner raises serious questions about conditions in Israeli jails

November 16, 2006

Hebron - Ma'an - The death of the Palestinian, Ziad Hamid, who served around 11 years in Israeli prisons, has posed a dangerous and topically hot question, relating to the deaths of several Palestinian prisoners after they are released from Israeli jails, especially those who have served long terms.

A report by the Prisoners' Association in Hebron stated that many released Palestinian prisoners have contracted cancer by the time of their release. This issue demands a serious investigation by international humanitarian organizations on the nature of the oppression and human destruction in Israeli prisons, which fill the bodies of prisoners with various diseases.

The report states, "It is evident that Palestinian prisoners live under very dire conditions in Israeli jails, ranging from internationally-banned means of torture, such as physical assaults and psychological stress, in addition to tear gas, fire and sonic grenades, which can include harmful radioactive elements, in addition to logistic and poor nutritional conditions in prison cells themselves." The World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet taken the initiative to question the spread of heart, blood, lung, back and brain diseases rife amongst Palestinian prisoners.

Many former prisoners have passed away due to diseases apparently stemming from their incarceration in Israeli jails. Among those are:

Sa'id Shamlakh from Gaza.
Jamil Abu Sneinah from Hebron
'Atif Abu 'Kar from Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem
Amjad 'Alawnah from Jenin
Musallam Ad-Duda from Hebron

Mousa Jum'ah from Jordan
Adnan Al-Balbool from Al-Khadir in Bethlehem
Amjad Faraj from Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem

Jamal Khamisi from Gaza
Ma'zooz Dalal from Qalqilia
Yousif Al-'Ar'ir from Gaza
Muhammad Taqatqa from Beit Fajjar in Bethlehem
Mahmoud Ibrahim Al-Kurd from Rafah
Isma'il Jaddo' from Bethlehem
Mahmoud Abu Hanafi from Beit Furik in Nablus
Tawfiq Al-Barghothi from Ramallah
'Ayid Jamjoom from Hebron