Vigil in Gaza in support of prisoner Walid Daqqa, other ill prisoners

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
29 May 2023 14:38

The General Central Committee of the PFLP condemns the international institutions for their silence regarding the Palestinian prisoners' suffering in Israeli occupation prisons.

A vigil in support of Palestinian prisoners in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza (Palestinian Press Agency)

The Palestinian Prisoners Committee of the National and Islamic Forces, the Captive Movement, and the institutions working in prisoners' affairs staged a vigil in support of cancer-stricken prisoner Walid Daqqa and other ill prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons.

During the vigil outside the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City, participants chanted against the occupation policies against ill prisoners, calling for the necessity of joint efforts to save prisoner Daqqa.

A member of the General Central Committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Osama Al-Hajj Ahmad, held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for its continued policy of medical negligence to which hundreds of ill prisoners are subjected, especially prisoner Daqqa.

📸 عدسة صفا| وقفة إسناد للأسير المريض وليد دقة والأسرى المرضى أمام مقر الصليب الأحمر في غزة pic.twitter.com/YXbyP82xLO
— وكالة صفا (@SafaPs) May 29, 2023

Al-Hajj Ahmad pointed to the occupation's continued policy of medical negligence and slow execution against dozens of female and male prisoners, deeming it an attempt led by Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his current government for political employment.

The official called on the Palestinian people to declare a state of emergency and escalate the open confrontation against the Israeli occupation, reiterating his explicit condemnation of the international institutions for their silence regarding the prisoners' suffering.

He underlined that such institutions are urgently required to bring in specialized medical committees to inspect the conditions of ill prisoners, especially those suffering from chronic diseases, including prisoner Daqqa, and to diagnose their health condition and provide them with the necessary medicines.

Elsewhere, Al-Hajj Ahmad called on the Palestinian official authorities to document the Israeli occupation’s crimes against the Captive Movement and to refer these crimes to the International Criminal Court with the aim of prosecuting the occupation and the Israeli prisons authority for their policies aimed at inflicting physical harm on prisoners through the policy of medical negligence.

Daqqa returned to 'Ramla' prison despite deteriorating health

A few days ago, the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees confirmed that Israeli occupation authorities returned on Thursday cancer-stricken prisoner Walid Daqqa to the so-called "Ramla" prison clinic, just days after he was transferred to "Assaf Harofeh" hospital due to his deteriorating health condition.

The Ministry pointed out that the "Ramla" prison clinic lacks the minimum necessities of medical care, warning that the decision confirms that the Israeli occupation is pursuing its policy of deliberate medical negligence.

It also held the occupation responsible for the Palestinian prisoner's life.

On Wednesday, Israeli occupation authorities postponed the court session for the immediate release of prisoner Daqqa.

Earlier, the Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees in Gaza considered that the statements made by Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about Daqqa's case underline that the occupation intends to kill the cancer-stricken prisoner and reflect the atrocities committed by the Israeli occupation through medical negligence against the prisoner and hundreds of other ill prisoners.

This comes as extremist Ben-Gvir had underlined that Daqqa's life "must end behind bars."

Demands for the release of Daqqa

Daqqa's family and the campaign calling for his release described the Israeli decision to return the prisoner to the so-called "Ramla" prison clinic as surprising and reprehensible.

They said that during the past few days, Daqqa underwent several examinations after his health deteriorated following complications due to the lung-resection operation that he previously underwent. He also underwent a catheterization operation due to noticeable heart failure.

Daqqa's family and the campaign calling for his release affirmed their only demand, which is the immediate release of the prisoner in order to receive treatment without restrictions.

Israeli decision is a silent, slow attempt to kill Daqqa: Wa'ed

The Wa'ed Association for Prisoners deplored the Israeli decision to return Daqqa to the "Ramla" prison clinic, deeming it an attempt to silently and slowly kill and liquidate Daqqa.

The Association added that the decision confirms that the Israeli occupation has taken a clear decision to execute the cancer-stricken prisoner.

Wa'ed called on the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Human Rights Council of the United Nations for urgent and rapid intervention to put pressure on the Israeli occupation to release Daqqa.

Who is Walid Daqqa?

Walid Daqqa has been detained since 1986 and was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of resisting the occupation. His sentence was later decreased to 37 years.

In 2018, two years were added to his sentence, and a few years ago, his wife, Sanaa Salameh, was able to give birth to their daughter, Milad, after smuggling Daqqa's sperm from prison.

Daqqa is considered one of the most prominent writers and thinkers of the Palestinian Captive Movement.

Until the end of last April, the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons reached nearly 4,900, including 32 female prisoners and 170 minors.

As for ill prisoners, they numbered 700 prisoners suffering from several diseases, including 24 prisoners with cancer and tumors of varying degrees.