BICOM

Israeli soldiers are on alert across the West Bank this morning after the death yesterday of a Palestinian prisoner from cancer triggered disturbances in Hebron, East Jerusalem and three Israeli prisons.

Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, aged 63, was diagnosed with throat cancer earlier this year. When his condition was considered terminal several days ago, he was moved to a hospital in Beer Sheva in southern Israel where he died yesterday. Palestinian officials accused Israel of having not properly cared for Abu Hamdiyeh. Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said that Abu Hamdiyeh died after “the Israeli government refused to comply with our efforts” for “proper medical treatment” and said his death was symptomatic of “Israeli intransigence and arrogance… especially against the prisoners.” Abbas has recently pushed to place Palestinian prisoners high on the agenda of attempts to further dialogue between Israel and the PA, demanding the release of convicted prisoners as one of a number of conditions for the renewal of talks.

Abu Hamdiyeh, a Hamas member, received a life sentence in 2002, having been convicted of several charges including attempted murder in a plot to blow up the Caffit restaurant in Jerusalem. Gondar Nasim Sabit, the Israel Prisons Services regional commander, told Israeli Channel Two that the process had been underway to grant Abu Hamdiyeh an early release on medical grounds, saying “The [release] board held one discussion on the matter and was supposed to hold another one this week.”

Palestinian prisoners in three Israeli prisons responded to news of Abu Hamdiyeh’s death by throwing objects at prison staff who responded with tear gas. In Hebron, fifteen Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli security forces and police used stun grenades to disperse a violent protest in East Jerusalem. Israeli reinforcements have reportedly been stationed in the West Bank and especially near Hebron where Abu Hamdiyeh’s funeral is expected to take place today.