Imprisoned Palestinian novelist and activist Walid Daqqa, who was affected by most cancers, has died in Israel’s Shamir Medical Heart, in response to the Palestinian Fee of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs.
Daqqa was from Baqa al-Gharbiyye, a predominantly Palestinian metropolis in Israel, and had served for 38 years in Israeli prisons, the fee added, earlier than saying that he had died on account of a “slow killing” coverage carried out in opposition to sick prisoners by the Israeli jail administration.
Protesters have gathered in Ramallah in reminiscence of probably the most distinguished Palestinian prisoners, who was because of be launched subsequent 12 months.
The Palestinian state information company Wafa described Daqqa as a “freedom fighter”, whereas Hamas stated that it was renewing its “covenant with the prisoners until they gain freedom”, following the information of his demise.
In an announcement, Hamas famous how Daqqa’s demise “took place in the occupation prisons”.
Israel’s far-right Minister of Nationwide Safety Itamar Ben-Gvir – who’s liable for the Israel Jail Service – stated that Israel was “not crying” over the demise of Daqaa, who he known as a “terrorist”.
In a social media publish, he stated that Daqqa’s life had ended naturally and that it was not part of the “death penalty for terrorists” because it was “supposed to” be.
לא בוכה הלילה על מותו של אסיר העולם – המחבל ווליד דקה ימ”ש. לצערי, ווליד דקה סיים את חייו במוות טבעי, ולא כמו תפיסתי לפיה דקה היה אמור לסיים את חייו במסגרת עונש מוות למחבלים.
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) April 7, 2024
Poor therapy of prisoners
Daqqa is among the most distinguished and longtime Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. He was arrested by Israel in 1986 for killing an Israeli soldier and has remained in jail since then. Whereas in jail, he wrote a number of books, together with a youngsters’s story.
In 1999, he additionally bought married whereas behind bars. Alongside together with his spouse, Sana Salameh, he welcomed a daughter – Milad – in 2020, conceived after his sperm was smuggled out of jail.
“The Israeli officers inside the prison told him they would not allow him to have a child, but he won by having Milad,” his spouse instructed Al Jazeera.
A 12 months later Daqqa was identified with myelofibrosis – a uncommon type of bone marrow most cancers that disrupts the physique’s regular manufacturing of blood cells. Rights teams started pressuring Israel to launch him on medical grounds.
Final 12 months, Addameer, a rights group that helps Palestinian prisoners, stated that Daqqa was in “dire need of urgent medical attention”, accused Israeli authorities of denying him the therapy he was prescribed, and referred to as for his “immediate release”.
However Israel refused to free him from jail early, setting his launch date for 2025.
Israeli jail authorities frequently delay checkups and pressing surgical procedures for Palestinian prisoners for years, in response to prisoner teams.
Specialised docs will not be frequently obtainable, apart from dentists, and “over-the-counter painkillers are administered as a remedy for almost all health problems”, rights teams stated in a joint report to the United Nations.
At the very least 10 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons because the Israel-Hamas warfare started on October 7, in response to Wafa. However a Haaretz investigation stated that the quantity was really no less than 27.
Earlier than that, in 2020, 4 Palestinian prisoners died in Israeli custody; and in November 2021, Palestinian prisoner Sami Umour, 39, died after a months-long delay of an urgently wanted operation for critical coronary heart issues from which he suffered.
The delay in deciding the case of Daqqa and different sick prisoners was described by Qadura Fares, the director of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, the principle Palestinian prisoner rights NGO, as a coverage of “slow, systematic killing”.
On Sunday, after the information about Daqqa’s demise was introduced by Israel, tributes poured in on social media in reminiscence of him and his work.
“He was among the most prominent prisoner intellectuals, with several works to his name, notably ‘Melting the Consciousness,’ ‘Parallel Time,’ and the novel ‘The Secret of the Oil Story,’ which received local and Arab awards,” Lema, a diplomat on the Palestine Mission to the European Union, stated in a publish on X.
“Daqqa leaves behind a legacy as a Palestinian hero,” she stated.
Walid Daqqa,🇵🇸 prisoner battling most cancers,has died in an Israeli Hosp. Regardless of worldwide & Palestinian requires his launch because of extreme medical neglect in jail, he remained detained till his demise. Daqqa leaves behind a legacy as a 🇵🇸 hero, survived by his spouse & daughter pic.twitter.com/liBBnFBVtM
— Lema (@Lemapal) April 7, 2024