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18% of Gaza’s prisoners in Israel jails suffer chronic diseases

November 13, 2020 at 5:06 am

A detained Palestinian man waves to a group of other prisoners after his release from the Israeli Ktziot prison, in southern Israel 06 August 2003 [AVI OHAYON/AFP via Getty Images]

Head of the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Hassan Quneita announced on Thursday that as many as 18 per cent of Gazan prisoners in Israeli jails suffer chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and blood pressure concerns among other ailments.

Quneita explained that the Israeli authorities commit flagrant violations against the Palestinian prisoners, including depriving them of the right to healthcare, protection from infectious diseases and non-discrimination.

“The prisoners are deprived of periodic access to laboratory examinations, access to x-rays and the absence of medical personnel to treat them, while the specialised medical teams from the Palestinian Ministry of Health are banned from visiting or treating the prisoners or performing surgical operations for them,” he explained.

Quneita called on Palestinian, Arab and international human rights organisations to pressure Israel to save the lives of unwell Palestinian prisoners and abide by international humanitarian law.

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