Israeli Medical Negligence Kills Palestinian Detainee Walid Daqqa

By Al Mayadeen English

One of the most prominent writers and thinkers of the Palestinian Captive Movement, Daqqa was martyred inside Assaf Harofeh Hospital after a nearly four-decade-long struggle in Israeli prisons.

Palestinian detainee Walid Daqqa was martyred inside Assaf Harofeh Hospital on Sunday, following a nearly four-decade-long struggle in Israeli occupation prisons, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) confirmed on Sunday evening.

Throughout his imprisonment, Daqqa endured numerous forms of mistreatment, torture, and notably, medical negligence.

This comes shortly after the human rights group Amnesty International called on "Israel" to release Daqqa on humanitarian grounds on Saturday. The rights group affirmed that the Palestinian detainee had suffered torture, humiliation, lack of family visits, and medical neglect, particularly since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

On March 13, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) announced that the cancer-stricken detainee had been transferred to Assaf Harofeh Hospital as his health further deteriorated following deliberate medical negligence.

At the time, Daqqa's family made an urgent appeal, explaining the urgency of his health situation. The family urged that Daqqa be considered at the top of the list of detainees in the first upcoming exchange deal, given his deteriorating medical conditions.

Daqqa's case was considered the most critical among the seriously ill Palestine detainees. His wife, Sanaa Salameh, has constantly reiterated to Al Mayadeen that the Israeli occupation is deliberately subjecting her husband to the policy of systematic medical negligence in an attempt to assassinate him.

It is worth noting that the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees had held the Israeli occupation responsible for Daqqa's well-being on several occasions.

Who is Walid Daqqa?

Daqqa, from the town of Baqa al-Gharbiya, northern occupied Palestine, was accused by the Israeli occupation of establishing a military cell in the early 80s and killing an Israeli soldier in 1984.

He was detained two years later and initially received a death sentence, which was later reduced to 37 years in prison. In 2018, the Israeli occupation added another two years to his sentence, on charges of smuggling phones to prisoners to help them communicate with their families.

A few years ago, his wife, Sanaa Salameh, was able to give birth to their daughter, Milad, after smuggling his sperm from prison. Upon discovering this, "Israel" imposed harsh penalties on Daqqa, admitting him to solitary confinement and restricting his visitation rights.

Daqqa is considered one of the most prominent writers and thinkers of the Palestinian Captive Movement. "Israel" punished him for his resistance, denying him access to proper medical care and early release despite his declining health.

In December 2022, he was diagnosed with advanced bone marrow cancer and urgently required a transplant, which he has not yet received.

On May 22, 2023, Daqqa was moved to the intensive care unit at Assaf Harofeh Hospital near "Tel Aviv" due to worsening health issues. However, three days later, Israeli authorities transferred him back to "Ramleh" prison’s clinic, known for its harsh conditions, despite calls from human rights organizations to keep him hospitalized for continuous monitoring and treatment if he is not released.

His continued detention contradicted the 1993 Oslo Accords, which included a provision for the release of all Palestinian detainees held before the agreement was signed.

During his detention, Daqqa was denied the opportunity to bid farewell to his father before his passing or to visit his mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, a decade ago.

Despite being mentioned in four previous prisoner exchange deals, he was excluded from them. Additionally, he was unable to leave prison to meet his daughter, Milad, who used to accompany her mother to protests advocating for her father's release.

Daqqa endured acute pneumonia and renal failure, leading to surgery on April 12, 2023, during which a significant portion of his right lung was removed. Subsequently, he faced complications from the surgery, along with severe respiratory issues and infection.

Despite restrictions such as book bans, Daqqa attained bachelor’s and master’s degrees while in prison. Additionally, he authored novels, articles, and poems about the Palestinian Resistance against the Israeli occupation, which gained global recognition.