The longest-held Palestinian prisoner in Israel died of cancer on Sunday. His death sparked a heated debate.
On Sunday, Palestinian Walid Daqqah, imprisoned for murder and kidnapping, died in an Israeli hospital at the age of 62. The German branch of the human rights organization Amnesty International sharply criticized this – and thus triggered an at least equally sharp reaction from Israel.
According to the verdict, in 1984 Daqqah led an armed group close to the terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) that kidnapped and murdered the then 19-year-old Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam. For this he was sentenced two years later to a 37-year prison sentence, which was set to expire in March 2023. Daqqah always denied the allegations. In 2017, an Israeli court extended his sentence by two more years for smuggling cell phones into prison. He was the longest-serving Palestinian imprisoned in Israel.
Amnesty International with serious allegations against Israel
While in custody, Daqqah also suffered from bone marrow cancer, from which he ultimately died. Amnesty had campaigned for Daqqah’s release from prison, among other things, because of his illness. The human rights organization accuses Israel of having “humiliated and tortured” the Palestinian since October 7, 2023. On October 7, terrorists from Hamas and other Palestinian organizations attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 200 others into the Gaza Strip.
Amnesty said he was denied family visits and medical care. On Amnesty’s English-language account, the convicted Daqqah was referred to simply as a “Palestinian writer.” He had written books while in prison.
Israel: “Troubling Obsession”
The Israeli embassy in Germany rejects Amnesty’s representation. On Platform Contrary to the human rights organization’s claims, Daqqah was treated for cancer during his time in prison, it is said.
And the message added: “We look forward to your next tribute to Ted Bundy.” The American Bundy murdered at least 30 young women and girls between 1974 and 1978. For this he was sentenced to death and executed in 1989.
