Palestinians to strike following prisoner’s death by 'medical negligence' 

Palestinians across the occupied West Bank will stage a general strike to mark the death of Palestinian prisoner, Nasser Abu Hamid, who died in Israel jails as a result of medical negligence.

According to Wafa news agency, the strike was called for by the Fatah movement, who also called for marches protesting Israel’s killing of Abu Hamid.

Fifty-year-old Abu Hamid was transferred from Ramle Prison to Shamir Medical Centre (Assaf Harofeh Medical Centre) by occupation forces yesterday after his health deteriorated rapidly.

Abu Hamid was diagnosed with a tumour in his leg in August 2021, which was removed; however, doctors said he needed to have chemotherapy treatment. Israeli prison authorities however delayed his access to treatment until cancer spread across his body, damaging his left lung completely.

This comes after Palestinian officials had called for his release as his health deteriorated in recent months.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh this morning said the Palestinian Authority holds Israel responsible for the death of Abu Hamid.

“Abu Hmaid died as a result of the policy of deliberate medical negligence that the Israeli occupation prisons administration uses against sick prisoners,” he said in a statement.

READ: Cancer-stricken Palestinian prisoner rushed to civilian hospital

He called on the Red Cross and international and human rights institutions to speed up the intervention in order to release sick prisoners, the elderly, female prisoners and children from the Israeli occupation prisons to prevent further deaths.

From Al-Amari camp near occupied Ramallah, Abu Hamid was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to seven life terms plus 50 years on charges of participating in the establishment of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades affiliated with the Fatah movement.

He has five siblings who are serving life terms in Israeli prisons and a sixth who was killed in 1994. Occupation forces demolished their family home on a number of occasions and their mother has been denied visits to see her children in jail for years.

Rights groups say that there are over 4,600 Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails, including about 500 held under administrative detention.