The systematic medical negligence policy against prisoners
The terrible conditions in the prisons where Palestinian inmates spend decades cause many of them to suffer from ailments that deteriorate over time. The occupation has consistently neglected the inmates' medical needs as a kind of coercion and cruelty.
After 38 years in Israeli prisons, Walid Daka, the martyred prisoner who had spent 38 years of his life behind bars, was killed by a rare kind of cancer. Walid Daka's health started to decline in 2020 as a result of acute kidney failure and pneumonia. He was later diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a rare bone marrow cancer. According to a medical professional, Walid's immune system was significantly compromised and his risk of infection was elevated by the medication that an Israeli Prison Service-affiliated physician had administered. This drug also caused a drop in blood count, which made the malignancy worse. Following diagnosis, medical professionals discovered that Walid Daka, the prisoner, required a bone marrow transplant, one of the most challenging and hazardous medical procedures ever. The physician further suggested moving Walid to a hygienic and sanitary setting in order to reduce his exposure to illness; however, this is not feasible given the unfavorable environmental and medical circumstances in the jails under occupation. Due to the criminal occupation's willful neglect of his worsening health, the Israeli court refused to release him.
It is important to note that in 2018, the occupation added two years to his sentence, bringing it to 39 years after first imposing a life sentence on him, which was then lowered to 37 years. Walid Daka's family has not been able to visit him since October 7th due to the occupation, thus they were unaware of his latest condition.
Since the attack against the Palestinian people began on October 7th of last year, there have been 15 martyrs in the occupation's prisons; with his martyrdom, the total number of martyrs of the prisoner movement since 1967 has increased to 252.