Palestinian leader, Nasser Abu Hamid has died in Israeli detention, after months of medical neglect and denial of cancer treatment.
The co-founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade died a few short hours after Israel finally permitted his family to visit him. At the time, Abu Hamid was already in a coma.
His condition had already deteriorated significantly as Israeli prison services moved him to an Israeli hospital from Ramleh prison.
The prisoner’s health had been deteriorating since August 2021, where he began to suffer from pains in his chest.
It became clear that Abu Hamid had lung cancer, and a tumour was eventually removed from his chest – after then he was transferred to another prison in Ashkelon.
After the surgery, the cancer returned. Doctors acknowledged the need for chemotherapy, but Abu Hamid was denied treatment until the disease was already spreading rapidly in his body, according to Palestinian rights groups.
Even though it was clear that he was at the end of his life, Abu Hamid was refused release to be with his family despite recommendations from Israeli healthcare professionals.
At least 73 Palestinian prisoners have lost their lives due to medical negligence during detentions in Israeli prisons since 1967, the Palestinian Prisoners Club (PCC) has revealed.