President Mahmoud Abbas has blamed Israel’s “arrogance and intransigence” for the death of Maysara Abu-Hamdiyya on Tuesday. The 65 year-old prisoner was in an Israeli hospital when he died, having been denied proper treatment for his throat cancer for several months in Israel’s jails. According to Abbas, the Israeli government refused to respond to Palestinian efforts to save Abu-Hamdiyya’s life.
Abbas told a meeting of the Fatah Central Committee in Ramallah, “We tried to have him released so that he could get the proper treatment but the Israeli government did not respond to our efforts.” He explained that this shows Israel’s “intransigence, tyranny and arrogance”, particularly against Palestinians held in its jails.
“We have protested to the Israeli government, international organisations and the world community about this Israeli act,” he said. “Nevertheless, we will continue our struggle for the liberation of our homeland and our prisoners.”
President Abbas and Central Committee members read a short prayer during their meeting asking for God’s blessings for Mr Abu-Hamdiyya.