Jenin: The Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs announced on Sunday the death of 49-year-old detainee Mahmoud Abdullah from Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. In a joint statement, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) stated that Abdullah, who had been held by Israeli occupation since February, experienced a sharp decline in health in recent weeks before being diagnosed with advanced cancer.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Abdullah was transferred between several Israeli occupation prisons before passing away at Assaf Harofeh Hospital. Despite his critical condition and confirmed medical diagnosis, Israeli occupation authorities refused to release him, keeping him detained until his death, which occurred just one day after he was moved to the hospital.
The statement from the commission and PPS noted that Abdullah had been suffering from health issues prior to his arrest and was undergoing treatment, but his detention impeded his ability to continue receiving medical care. They asserted that Abdullah’s death adds to a series of actions by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian detainees, described as part of an ongoing genocidal war.
The organizations emphasized that testimonies from former prisoners document systematic torture and abuse, which they claim constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes. They affirmed that the conditions inside the prisons are part of this ongoing conflict. With Abdullah’s passing, the number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees who have died in Israeli occupation custody since the start of the conflict has risen to 79. The statement added that the remains of 87 prisoners, including 76 since the conflict began, remain withheld by Israeli authorities.