The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR): On Wednesday, 08 July 2020, Palestinian detained in Israeli prisons for the past 26 years, Sa’di Khalil al-Gharabli (47) from Gaza City, was pronounced dead in Kaplan Medical Center where he was recently transferred from al-Ramlah prison after his health condition deteriorated. Al-Gharabli suffered prostate cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes, which he developed while in prison.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) holds Israeli occupation forces (IOF) responsibility for the death of al-Gharabli, who has been detained since 1994 and sentenced to life imprisonment; and expresses it deep concern that Israeli authorities delayed providing al-Gharabli with timely and adequate medical treatment. PCHR also condemns the Israeli authorities’ disregard of the repeated calls for his release as is standard in such humanitarian cases, despite their knowledge of the deterioration of his health. Al-Gharabli was left to die in prison despite his age and having spent a very long period in prison.
PCHR communicated with al-Gharabli’s family after contradictory news about his death emerged the previous day due to the deterioration of his health condition. Accordingly, PCHR’s lawyer attempted to visit al-Gharabli in Kaplan Medical Center, but the hospital administration informed him that he should obtain the approval of the prison service. When PCHR’s lawyers contacted al-Ramlah Prison’s administration where al-Gharabli was detained, they stalled and refused his request for a visit permit.
The death of al-Gharabli highlights the general deterioration in the conditions of thousands of Palestinians in Israeli prisons and shows the extent of the punitive measures taken against them, particularly with regard to the medical negligence they are exposed to and the failure to provide the necessary medical treatment to hundreds of patients, especially those suffering from chronic and serious illnesses. This is is a serious violation of the Israeli authorities’ obligations to provide humanitarian detention conditions and medical care for Palestinian detainees as per the Fourth Geneva Convention, especially Articles (85), (125).
PCHR holds the Israeli government fully responsible for the death of Palestinian prisoner al-Gharabli and for the lives of dozens of patient who face the same destiny in light of the deterioration of living conditions for more than 7000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, including dozens who suffer from chronic diseases and do not receive adequate medical treatment.
PCHR calls on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to increase the effectiveness of its follow-up of the imprisonment conditions of Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Furthermore, PCHR urges the international community to pressurize Israel to immediately release prisoners, including women, children, and patients, who have served two-thirds of their sentences; and to provide healthcare services in accordance with the internationally recognized minimum standards.
for more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893
Gaza- Jamal ‘Abdel Nasser “al-Thalathini” Street – Al-Roya Building- Floor 12, El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
