The Israeli occupation authorities continue to pursue a policy of deliberate and systematic medical negligence against Palestinian detainees in its prisons. 

The latest victim of such policy is Nasser Abu Humaid, who had been diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer in August 2021 and was pronounced dead early Tuesday. 

According to human rights organisations, 232 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli occupation jails since 1967 due to brutal torture or after suffering from various diseases and being denied medical treatment by the Israeli occupation authorities. 

Seventy-four Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation jails have died due to deliberate medical negligence since 1967.

Despite the many calls made by international humanitarian organisations and human rights groups for an end to the medical negligence policy, the Israeli occupation continues to pursue such policy against Palestinian detainees.      

Another victim of such an arbitrary policy is Saadia Farajallah, 68, who died in July due to deliberate medical negligence. She suffered from diabetes, hypertension, and heart problems. 

Some 600 sick Palestinian detainees are languishing in Israeli occupation prisons, including nearly 200 who suffer from chronic diseases and 24 with tumours and cancer in various stages, according to the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. 

'A full-fledged crime' 

Montaser al-Naouq, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, said that the Israeli occupation had committed a "full-fledged crime" by delaying checkups for Abu Humaid, slowly killing him. 

"The ultra-extremist Israeli far-right is actually implementing the law allowing the execution of Palestinian detainees that it had proposed through its policy, foremost among them is medical negligence," al-Naouq explained in a press statement. 

One of the main reasons behind Palestinian detainees developing cancer is the signal jamming devices installed by the Israeli occupation authorities around their cells, in addition to the harsh conditions in Israeli occupation jails, al-Naouq added.  

He called on the international community and humanitarian organisations to assume responsibility towards Palestinian detainees and put an end to the Israeli crimes committed against them.  

'A policy targeting Palestinian detainees'

Abdallah Qandil, director of the Waed Society for Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, said that the Israeli occupation is proceeding with its policies aimed at deliberately killing Palestinian detainees in cold blood.  

Abu Humaid's 73-year-old mother, Latifa, had repeatedly appealed for her son's early release, as he was facing imminent death after months of medical negligence, but the Israeli occupation authorities rejected her appeals.