Fatah Libel: Israel is “slowly killing” Palestinian prisoners

Headline: “A demonstration in front of Ofer Prison as a sign of solidarity with hunger-striking prisoners Abu Atwan and Al-Tawil”

“Yesterday [June 30, 2021] a demonstration was held in front of Ofer Prison west of Ramallah, as a sign of support for prisoners Al-Ghadanfar Abu Atwan and Jamal Al-Tawil (PMW was unable to determine the nature of their crimes -Ed.), who are hunger striking…

Fatah Movement Ramallah [Branch] Secretary Muwaffaq Sahwil said that the goal of this demonstration… is to bless all the male and female prisoners in the occupation’s prison, foremost among them the hunger-strikers and the sick prisoners who are suffering from the policy of medical negligencethrough which the occupation wants to slowly kill them (sic., see note below regarding the PA libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners).”

Libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners - The PA claims that Israel abuses Palestinian prisoners through medical neglect, medical experiments, and by intentionally infecting them with diseases. However, the International Red Cross regularly visits these prisoners and has not documented or accused Israel of any of these claims. Likewise, lists of demands occasionally issued by the prisoners during hunger strikes—such as during one in 2011—include no demands relating to these claims. PMW has documented prisoners talking about how they "lack nothing" in the prisons and that "the worst thing about Israeli prison" is riding in a prison vehicle that has no padding on the seat. When PMW contacted the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2007 regarding PA claims of medical experiments on prisoners, the ministry responded: "Clinical testing on prisoners in prison was never approved, never performed, and is most certainly not taking place at present."