Palestinian prisoner dies in Israel jail

A Palestinian prisoner has died in Israeli custody, reportedly after suffering a heart attack, according to the WAFA news agency.

Aziz Oweisat, 53, a resident of Jabal Al-Mukaber neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem, died in an Israeli hospital yesterday following a serious deterioration in his health.

Oweisat had been serving a 30-year prison sentence since 2014 when he was convicted of “attempting to blow up a pipeline supplying gas to the settlement of Armon Hanatzif, built on expropriated Jabal Al-Mukaber land”, reported WAFA.

In May, the prisoner allegedly attacked a prison guard and was subsequently “severely beaten”.

Read: Palestinian prisoner suffers stroke in Israel prison

According to the report, Oweisat suffered several complications but Israeli occupation forces “refused calls to release him to get medical treatment despite its knowledge of the seriousness of his health”.

WAFA stated that “several Palestinians demonstrated at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on Sunday to protest the death due to medical negligence of Palestinian prisoner Aziz Oweisat.”

“Israeli police attacked the protesters using clubs, tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets causing several injuries and forced them to disperse.”

WAFA added that “Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails banged on prison cells and started shouting after news of Oweisat’s death”.