Speak Up Club held a discussion meeting entitled “750 Palestinian Detainees Are Victims of Medical Negligence” on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
The meeting was attended by many English-speaking Palestinian activists and journalists in the context of enhancing Palestinian youth’s awareness of their cause and developing their ability to defend it Internationally.
It also hosted Sarah Wilkinson, a British pro-Palestinian activist, and Riyad Al-Ashqar, the director of the Palestine Center for Prisoner Studies.
During the meeting, the participants discussed the policy of deliberate medical negligence practiced by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian prisoners and its impact on their lives.
They agreed that the Israeli policy of medical negligence against Palestinian detainees, in all its forms, is a comprehensive crime and a clear violation of international law and norms.
The participants pointed out that the number of Palestinian sick detainees has risen to 750, including 22 cancer patients, proving the criminality of the Israeli occupation and its arbitrary use of this illegal policy.
This policy is a part of the Israeli apartheid regime against the Palestinian people, which is based on the oppression of Palestinians to stop their resistance and fights for their legitimate rights, the participants said.
Riyad Al-Ashqar said that the occupation’s arrest of Palestinians is a clear violation of international law, as it violates international standards and the Fourth Geneva Convention that guarantees the human rights of prisoners.
As for medical negligence, Al-Ashqar indicated that the Israeli occupation systematically practices this unlawful policy against Palestinians, which led to the killing of dozens in Israeli prisons, and it is considered a war crime and a crime against humanity according to international law.
Activist Sarah Wilkinson said Israeli crimes need to be widely covered and the international community should act to protect the Palestinian people.
She added that activities to boycott the Israeli occupation in Britain have been increasing despite all restrictions and penalties imposed by the British government on the parties and individuals who defend Palestinians.
Wilkinson stressed the important role of the Palestinian media in changing international public opinion, correcting the misled image of the Palestinians, and putting pressure on the governments complicit with the Israeli occupation state to cut their relations with it.
She also stressed that the Palestinian voice will not be suppressed despite all the sanctions and that the occupation’s crimes must be exposed, especially the Palestinian prisoners’ issue, the killing of civilians, and the continuous attacks by the occupation forces and settlers on Palestinian civilians.
The meeting concluded that it is necessary to promote the Palestinian media work directed to the international community, to network with the concerned and supportive parties, and to provide them with a solid information base on the Palestinian situation to confront the Israeli lies and allegations.
The Speak Up Club is a media development startup project within the activities of the Gaza-based Days of Palestine Foundation, which includes a number of Palestinian activists and journalists. It aims to shed light on contemporary issues related to the Palestinian cause and discuss ways to support Palestinians and share their issues widely to the world.
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