Palestinian prisoners in various Israeli prisons staged protests on Tuesday, June 13, against the continuing inhumane treatment and deliberate medical neglect by Israeli authorities. They highlighted the condition of activist and writer Walid Daqqa who is battling cancer.
Prisoners sealed off portions of the jails, cutting off access to the Israeli authorities, and disrupted all normal day-to-day prison activities as part of the protest. The epicenter of the protests was the Ramleh prison, where Daqqa is being held.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC) said that “the protest came against the occupation’s prevention of ill prisoners at the Ramleh prison clinic, especially Walid Daqqa, from communicating with their families, in addition to denying them from certain types of food.” PPC spokesperson Ayah Shreiteh warned that the condition of the 15 prisoners currently housed at the prison clinic is fragile due to the authorities not providing them necessary medical attention.
Daqqa was recently diagnosed with cancer while in prison on a 38-year sentence. Despite numerous appeals by human rights groups and a massive campaign, Israeli authorities and courts have refused to release him on humanitarian grounds. Daqqa is one of 700 Palestinians in Israeli prisons and detention centers suffering from chronic health issues and life-threatening ailments like cancer.
Tuesday’s protest came ahead of a mass hunger strike planned by prisoners on June 18 to protest the illegal Israeli policy of administrative detention. Israel detains and imprisons Palestinians without charge or trial for prolonged periods of time using this policy, especially targeting those engaged in acts of resistance against the Israeli occupation or those involved in political and activism efforts.
Palestinian administrative detainees issued a ‘general alert’ on Sunday in all prisons where detainees will go on hunger strike. They announced that all necessary measures have been taken to prepare for the hunger strike as Israeli brutality or repression may follow in its aftermath. The detainees have formed a special committee consisting of all the different political factions in prisons which will be in charge of the protest actions. The planned protest comes in the aftermath of Palestinian administrative detainee Khader Adnan dying in Israeli custody after staging a hunger strike for almost three months.
In their statement, the administrative detainees’ committee recalled his death saying that “we will go on hunger strike to preserve the principle for which Khader Adnan gave his life, to put the question of administrative detainees seriously and effectively on the table. We will confront the policies of the occupation and its secret services, who take delight in stealing our lives away through administrative detention.”
Out of a total of 5,000 Palestinian prisoners, around 1,200, including 14 minors and two women, are currently being held by Israel under the policy of administrative detention. Despite repeated calls from human rights groups, the United Nations and the world community, Israel continues the use of this policy. Reports noted that since the beginning of this year, Israel has issued a staggering 1,300 administrative detention orders against Palestinians, of which 300 were issued just in May.
