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Palestinian prisoner Zakariya Isa in critical condition

February 20, 2014 at 3:34 pm

The 43 year old prisoner, Zakaria Daoud Hassan Isa, from the town of al-Khader in Bethlehem who is currently serving a fifteen and a half year sentence went into a coma a few days ago after which he was rushed from the Negev Desert Prison to the Soroka Hospital in Be’ere Sheva.

Over the last four months, Mr Isa had been suffering from pains in his chest and stomach and he was unable to eat any food. However, his doctors and the clinic at the Negev Desert Prison did not give him with the necessary treatment nor would they provide a clear diagnosis of his condition aggravating the problem. On Thursday, 4/8/2011 he lost consciousness after his weight plummeted and he lost the ability to speak.


It has been discovered that Mr Isa had been suffering from blood and liver cancer which eventually reached his brain causing his memory and speech loss and finally causing him to fall into a near completely unresponsive coma. His body is not responding to the treatment he is now being given as a result of the policy of deliberate medical negligence pursued by the Israeli government and which has resulted in the aggravation of the illness.

Muhammad al-Abed, the lawyer who visited Mr Isa in hospital, confirmed that the prisoner’s condition was critical. He recommended that his family arrange for his burial and await news of his martyrdom.

During the nineties, Zakaria Isa was one of the best players in Bethlehem and was part of the Palestinian team which took part in the 1993 international match against France held in Jericho. The French team was headed by the well-known international player, Platini.

Zakaria Isa is married with a son and three daughters. His mother died about a month ago.

It is worth mentioning that illness among prisoners has become aggravated in recent years due to the policy of deliberate medical negligence by Israeli authorities.

Israel has refused to release Zakaria Isa to allow him to see his family and say his last farewells. It insists that he remains a prisoner despite his condition.