DaysofPal – The Palestine Center for Prisoner Studies has revealed that 26 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons are suffering from various forms of cancer, under severe health conditions that place their lives at constant risk. According to the center, these prisoners are denied proper medical treatment and are given painkillers only, despite the seriousness of their illnesses.
In a report released to mark World Cancer Day, observed annually on November 4, the center’s director and researcher, Riyad al-Ashqar stated that cancer-stricken prisoners are subjected to a policy of “slow death” through deliberate medical neglect.
He explained that their deteriorating health is compounded by harsh detention conditions that deprive them of basic necessities, with no distinction made between sick prisoners and those in good health.
Al-Ashqar noted that the suffering of these prisoners has intensified since 7 October 2023, as Israeli prison authorities have tightened restrictions, increased abuse, and further denied detainees their fundamental rights. These include access to medical care, adequate nutrition, and appropriate living conditions, even for those battling life-threatening diseases.
He stressed that cancer had been the leading cause of death among Palestinian prisoners prior to 7 October, largely due to systematic medical negligence. Israeli authorities, he said, routinely refuse to transfer ill prisoners to civilian hospitals for treatment and limit medical care to basic pain relief.
Al-Ashqar highlighted the case of Mahmoud Talal Abdullah, a 49-year-old prisoner from Jenin, who died after being diagnosed with advanced cancer. Despite the severity of his condition, Israeli authorities refused to release him or provide appropriate treatment.
He was later transferred to Ramla Prison Clinic and then to Assaf Harofeh Hospital, where his killing was announced in October last year. He also cited Mohammed Anwar Labad, a 57-year-old from Gaza who was detained during the war and killed in December 2024 after developing cancer and being denied medical care.
The report also confirmed that two female prisoners are among those suffering from cancer. Fidaa Assaf, 47, from Qalqilya, has leukemia and has been detained for a year despite her critical health condition. Suheir Zaaqiq from Hebron suffers from cancerous tumors and fibroids without receiving adequate treatment.
Several of the affected prisoners are long-term detainees known as senior prisoners, including Jamal Ibrahim Amro from Hebron, imprisoned since 2004 and serving a life sentence. He was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2018, which later spread to his liver and kidneys due to medical neglect, leaving him in poor health.
Another case is Fawaz Sabaa Ba’ara from Nablus, also detained since 2004 and serving three life sentences, who suffers from cancer and severe heart disease. He requires open-heart surgery, which Israeli authorities continue to deny.
Al-Ashqar stated that the harsh conditions inside Israeli prisons and ongoing violations have created an environment that fuels the spread of serious illnesses. He warned that repeated announcements of new cancer cases reflect years of accumulated medical neglect, placing prisoners at risk of imminent death.
He cautioned that the absence of real treatment, particularly urgent chemotherapy needed by several detainees, has already led to tragic outcomes. In some cases, prisoners have been released only after reaching critical health stages, while others have been killed as a direct result of this neglect.
The report concluded with an urgent appeal to international organizations, especially the World Health Organization, to intervene immediately to save the lives of sick prisoners, particularly those with cancer, and to work toward their release before it is too late.
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