Media spokesman for the Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies Riyad al-Ashqar on Saturday accused the Israeli occupation authorities of pursuing a slow death policy against sick prisoners by denying them treatment or delaying urgent medical examinations.
In statements made on World Health Day al-Ashqar said that international health organizations must intervene to save the life of Palestinian prisoners who are deprived of one of their most basic rights.
Al-Ashqar added that there are 6500 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails 17% of whom suffer from various diseases and most of them face the risk of death at any moment due to medical negligence including 22 cancer patients.
He warned that Palestinian sick prisoners are being subjected to a real massacre as they do not receive the necessary medical care and have their surgeries and medical examinations delayed several times and sometime for years which lead to incurable deterioration in their health conditions.
He renewed his call on international community and world health organizations to break their silence and pressure Israel to provide the needed treatment to sick prisoners before there is no hope for recovery.
