Palestinians rally in support of cancer-diagnosed prisoner after grave deterioration in health
Hundreds of Palestinians protested on Saturday in Ramallah to demand the release of , from Israeli jail.
The protest came two days after the Palestinian Prisoners' club revealed thatAbu Hmeid was in a life-threatening health condition, according to latest medical reports made to him by Israeli medics.
Abu Hameid, from the refuge camp of Al-Amaari in Ramallah, has been in jail since 2002, serving a life-sentence for militancy. His health began to deteriorate in August of 2018, and was later diagnosed with lung cancer.
After undergoing a surgery to remove the tumour, Abu Hmeid was transferred back to jail before fully recovering, according to his family and human rights groups. Israeli authorities later , which he began to receive.
Four of Abu Hmeid’s brothers are also serving high sentences in Israeli jails. A sixth sibling was killed in 1994 by Israeli forces after a long chase for militant activity. The family’s house was detonated by Israeli forces five times.
At the protest, attended by Abu Hmeid’s mother, Palestinians held pictures of him and chanted slogans demanding his release, .
“I want my son back with me, to hug him for at least one last time before he dies”, said Abu Hmeid’s mother to the press at the protest.
"Medical reports indicate that the heath condition of cancer-stricken and critically-ill poisoner, , has reached a very critical stage and he is on the verge of death."
— Mohammad Sabaaneh (@Sabaaneh)
“I call upon all factions and parties, as well as and the Palestinian government to act to releasemy son before he dies”, she stressed.
“Are they waiting for him to die to come later and give their condolences? I don’t want that. I want my son back," she exclaimed.
Palestinians organize a sit-in in Nablus in support of Palestinian prisoner Nasser Abu Hmeid, a patient of cancer who's battling death in Israeli jails.
— Wafa News Agency - English (@WAFANewsEnglish)
Credit: WAFA News Agency
During the protest, a group of participants began to chant slogans demanding the release of . The group, mostly made of family members of the detainees, accused the PAof detaining them for political reasons.
Tensions mounted as an argument escalated between the and another group of attendants, before both sides backed down. None of the protesters against the PAdetentions agreed to speak to the press.
In November 2019, Palestinian 37-year-old Sami Abu Dyak died in Israeli jail after years of battling with intestine cancer. In his last message, Abu Dyak asked to be left to die at home beside his mother. Human rights groups staged a campaign to demand his release for humanitarian reasons, but Israeli authorities refused.
In November 2020, . Demands had been made for his release as well, though they were equally ignored.
, Palestinians prisoners in Israeli jails suffer from chronic diseases, including 22 of cancer or tumour-related diseases.
Israeli authorities have been , including delaying treatment and the over-use of pain killers.