31 jan 2014
Israeli groups organized a protest demonstration on Thursday evening in Tel Aviv, northern occupied Palestine, to demand the execution of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the demonstrators called for not releasing the Palestinian prisoners in the framework of the peace negotiations, and raised banners demanding their execution.
The Israeli occupation regime lately released prisoners who had been arrested before the Oslo Accord, within the framework of an agreement concluded with the Palestinian Authority.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the demonstrators called for not releasing the Palestinian prisoners in the framework of the peace negotiations, and raised banners demanding their execution.
The Israeli occupation regime lately released prisoners who had been arrested before the Oslo Accord, within the framework of an agreement concluded with the Palestinian Authority.
19 jan 2014
The Israeli police released on Sunday the 66-year Jerusalemite freed prisoner Mahmoud Da’ajneh after detaining him for a few hours at the “Nabi Yaakov” police station in Beit Hanina.
Amjad Abu Asab, head of Jerusalemites detained and prisoners families committee, said that the police released the freed prisoner with a 1700-NIS bail and a third-party bail; note that he was arrested under the pretext of not paying the taxes imposed on him by the Israeli authorities which added up to 71 thousand NIS.
Abu Asab added that the police conditioned Da’ajneh to check with the municipality to pay the accumulated taxes. It is noteworthy that the occupation forces detained him at the checkpoint of Shu’fat refugee camp and handed him a call to go to the Nabi Yaakov police station and he was arrested upon arrival at the station under the pretext of not paying the “Arnona” tax for several years on a house that he rented in the neighbourhood of Al-Qirmi in the old city of Jerusalem in 1979.
The freed prisoner was released within the third group of the veteran prisoner who were arrested before “Oslo” in 1993 after he had spent 21 years in the Israeli prisons on charges of “killing a Jewish woman and forming a cell.”
Extension of arrest…
The District court Judge extended on Thursday the arrest of 16-year old Dima Qunbar until 30/01/2014; note that she was recently arrested on charges of stabbing an Israeli soldier inside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.
Amjad Abu Asab, head of Jerusalemites detained and prisoners families committee, said that the police released the freed prisoner with a 1700-NIS bail and a third-party bail; note that he was arrested under the pretext of not paying the taxes imposed on him by the Israeli authorities which added up to 71 thousand NIS.
Abu Asab added that the police conditioned Da’ajneh to check with the municipality to pay the accumulated taxes. It is noteworthy that the occupation forces detained him at the checkpoint of Shu’fat refugee camp and handed him a call to go to the Nabi Yaakov police station and he was arrested upon arrival at the station under the pretext of not paying the “Arnona” tax for several years on a house that he rented in the neighbourhood of Al-Qirmi in the old city of Jerusalem in 1979.
The freed prisoner was released within the third group of the veteran prisoner who were arrested before “Oslo” in 1993 after he had spent 21 years in the Israeli prisons on charges of “killing a Jewish woman and forming a cell.”
Extension of arrest…
The District court Judge extended on Thursday the arrest of 16-year old Dima Qunbar until 30/01/2014; note that she was recently arrested on charges of stabbing an Israeli soldier inside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.
Israeli police detained a recently released Palestinian prisoner who had been held for over 20 years over allegedly "unpaid taxes" on Sunday.
Mahmoud Daajnah, a 66-year-old veteran prisoner who was released three weeks ago as part of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, was handed a summons at a checkpoint in Jerusalem on Saturday and taken into custody on Sunday, according to a prisoner advocacy group.
A spokesperson for the families of Jerusalem prisoners in Israeli custody Amjad Abu Asab told Ma'an that Daajnah was stopped by Israeli forces on Saturday at a military checkpoint near Shuafat refugee camp north of Jerusalem.
He was released after an hour and a half of detention, but was handed a summons demanding that he appear at a police station in Beit Hanina to settle unpaid taxes.
Daajnah went on Sunday to the Neve Yakov police station, where he was interrogated, added Abu Asab.
Israeli police then telephoned the family to inform that Daajnah had been taken into custody. The family was told he could be released if he signs a pledge to pay all his unpaid taxes, and if he or a third party pays a bail.
Daajnah was originally detained by Israeli forces in March 1993 while he was traveling to Jordan during the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation. He was then sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years on charge of killing an Israeli woman.
He was released on December 31 along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners detained before the Oslo Accords as part of the third group of 104 veteran prisoners Israeli pledged to set free to encourage the PA to go on with peace talks.
5,200 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of Oct. 2013, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs. Another 1,280 are in Israeli prisons for being inside Israel without permits.
Since 1967, more than 650,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel, representing 20 percent of the total population and 40 percent of all males in the occupied territories.
Under international law, it is illegal to transfer prisoners outside of the occupied territory in which they are detained, and the families of Palestinian prisoners' face many obstacles in obtaining permits to see their imprisoned relatives.
Mahmoud Daajnah, a 66-year-old veteran prisoner who was released three weeks ago as part of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, was handed a summons at a checkpoint in Jerusalem on Saturday and taken into custody on Sunday, according to a prisoner advocacy group.
A spokesperson for the families of Jerusalem prisoners in Israeli custody Amjad Abu Asab told Ma'an that Daajnah was stopped by Israeli forces on Saturday at a military checkpoint near Shuafat refugee camp north of Jerusalem.
He was released after an hour and a half of detention, but was handed a summons demanding that he appear at a police station in Beit Hanina to settle unpaid taxes.
Daajnah went on Sunday to the Neve Yakov police station, where he was interrogated, added Abu Asab.
Israeli police then telephoned the family to inform that Daajnah had been taken into custody. The family was told he could be released if he signs a pledge to pay all his unpaid taxes, and if he or a third party pays a bail.
Daajnah was originally detained by Israeli forces in March 1993 while he was traveling to Jordan during the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation. He was then sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years on charge of killing an Israeli woman.
He was released on December 31 along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners detained before the Oslo Accords as part of the third group of 104 veteran prisoners Israeli pledged to set free to encourage the PA to go on with peace talks.
5,200 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of Oct. 2013, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs. Another 1,280 are in Israeli prisons for being inside Israel without permits.
Since 1967, more than 650,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel, representing 20 percent of the total population and 40 percent of all males in the occupied territories.
Under international law, it is illegal to transfer prisoners outside of the occupied territory in which they are detained, and the families of Palestinian prisoners' face many obstacles in obtaining permits to see their imprisoned relatives.
7 jan 2014
|
|
Freed detainee, Naim Shawamra, was moved to a hospital in Jordan after Israeli authorities finally granted the approval, following extended delays, Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank said.
Palestinian Minister of Detainee, Issa Qaraqe’, stated that Israel and its security devices acted in an ugly and immoral manner by continuously delaying its approval to allow Shawamra be transferred to Jordan, by ambulance, to receive urgently needed medical treatment. He said that the Palestinian side kept contacting the Israeli authorities for them to allow the transfer of Shawamra and, after an extend wait, Israel granted the approval on Sunday at 10 P.M. “Once Shawamra reached the border terminal, Israel ordered him back and said he is not allowed to cross. This happened despite an official approval from the Israeli security”, Qaraqe’ said. “Shawamra was then moved to the Jericho hospital, waiting for another approval that was only granted on Monday morning, January 6, 2014.” It is worth mentioning that president Mahmoud Abbas instructed the Palestinian Authority and its Ministry of Health to do whatever they can to move Shawamra to any hospital that can provide the specialized treatment he needs. Abbas personally followed the issue until the released detainee managed to cross the border terminal, into Jordan. Shawamra was recently released as part of the third phase of releasing veteran political prisoners, held by Israel since before the first Oslo |
Nizar Tamimi and Naim Ahawamrh, in a hospital in Jordan.
Agreement.
He spent 19 years in Israeli prisons where he fell ill, and his condition witnessed a serious deterioration due to the lack of professional medical treatment in prison.
Agreement.
He spent 19 years in Israeli prisons where he fell ill, and his condition witnessed a serious deterioration due to the lack of professional medical treatment in prison.
6 jan 2014
|
|
Liberated prisoner Naim Shawamra was transferred from his hometown Al-Khalil to Jordan on Sunday night for treatment after a delay due to Israeli hitch that delayed his travel originally scheduled at noon. Family members told the PIC that Shawamra was transferred to Jordan after he lost his ability to speak and his health condition worsened, which led to weight loss.
They said that Shawamra remained with the family for three days only one week after his release from Israeli jails then he was rushed to hospital in Al-Khalil more than once until doctors advised that he should travel to Jordan for treatment there. They held the Israeli occupation authority fully responsible for his condition after he served 19 years in Israeli jails. |
The Palestinian prisoner society earlier said that the IOA refused to grant Shawamra permission to travel to Jordan for treatment of muscular dystrophy.
5 jan 2014
Israeli authorities told the Palestinian Red Crescent that newly released Palestinian prisoner Naim Shawamrah would not be allowed to enter Jordan for treatment, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society said.
Shawamrah, whose health has been deteriorating since before he was released from Israeli jails, was scheduled to head to Jordan for treatment mid-Sunday, Hebron PPS director Amjad al-Najjar said.
"Everybody was surprised by the decision to reject him," al-Najjar said. "Preparations have been ongoing since Saturday, but the Red Crescent was notified of an Israeli decision to deny him entry to Jordan."
Shawamrah was hospitalized late Wednesday due to serious deterioration in his health condition.
Doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, al-Najjar said at the time.
Minister of Health Jawad Awwad met Saturday with Shawamrah's doctor, along with members of his family and other Palestinian Authority officials, and planned to send the former prisoner to Jordan for treatment, a statement from the Ministry of Prisoners' affairs said.
Shawamrah was released Tuesday morning along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners who were detained before the Oslo Accords. He spent 19 years in Israeli jails and in 2013 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.
Throughout his final days in prison, he was unable to walk.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners from Israeli jails in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
Shawamrah, whose health has been deteriorating since before he was released from Israeli jails, was scheduled to head to Jordan for treatment mid-Sunday, Hebron PPS director Amjad al-Najjar said.
"Everybody was surprised by the decision to reject him," al-Najjar said. "Preparations have been ongoing since Saturday, but the Red Crescent was notified of an Israeli decision to deny him entry to Jordan."
Shawamrah was hospitalized late Wednesday due to serious deterioration in his health condition.
Doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, al-Najjar said at the time.
Minister of Health Jawad Awwad met Saturday with Shawamrah's doctor, along with members of his family and other Palestinian Authority officials, and planned to send the former prisoner to Jordan for treatment, a statement from the Ministry of Prisoners' affairs said.
Shawamrah was released Tuesday morning along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners who were detained before the Oslo Accords. He spent 19 years in Israeli jails and in 2013 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.
Throughout his final days in prison, he was unable to walk.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners from Israeli jails in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
4 jan 2014
The Palestinian liberated prisoner Naim Shawamra, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, has lost his ability to talk permanently in addition to suffering muscle spasms and suffocation and frequent fainting only one week after his release from Israeli jails, Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said. Shawamra has managed on Friday after regaining consciousness to write some words describing his difficult health situation and his extreme suffering, PPS added.
Naim Shawamra was released last week among the third batch of the long-serving prisoners, after spending 19 years behind Israeli bars.
Shawamra was unable to walk while in prison, however before his release he was given three injections that enabled him to walk and to appear healthy before media outlets. Few days after his release, his health situation dramatically deteriorated.
Naim Shawamra was released last week among the third batch of the long-serving prisoners, after spending 19 years behind Israeli bars.
Shawamra was unable to walk while in prison, however before his release he was given three injections that enabled him to walk and to appear healthy before media outlets. Few days after his release, his health situation dramatically deteriorated.
Newly released Palestinian prisoner Naim Shawamrah will be transferred to Jordan for treatment, the Palestinian minister of prisoners' affairs said Saturday.
President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah have instructed all concerned parties to make sure Shawamrah receives all possible treatment, Issa Qaraqe said in a statement.
Minister of Health Jawad Awwad met Saturday with Shawamrah's doctor, along with members of his family and other Palestinian Authority officials, and decided to send the former prisoner to Jordan for treatment, the statement said.
Qaraqe said Shawamrah's condition had become very serious -- he is unable to speak and can hardly breathe.
He was hospitalized late Wednesday due to a serious deterioration in his health condition. Doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron.
Shawamrah was released Tuesday morning along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners who were detained before the Oslo Accords. He spent 19 years in Israeli jails and in 2013 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Throughout his final days in prison, he was unable to walk.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners from Israeli jails in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
5,200 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of Oct. 2013, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs.
Since 1967, more than 650,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel, representing 20 percent of the total population and 40 percent of all males in the occupied territories.
President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah have instructed all concerned parties to make sure Shawamrah receives all possible treatment, Issa Qaraqe said in a statement.
Minister of Health Jawad Awwad met Saturday with Shawamrah's doctor, along with members of his family and other Palestinian Authority officials, and decided to send the former prisoner to Jordan for treatment, the statement said.
Qaraqe said Shawamrah's condition had become very serious -- he is unable to speak and can hardly breathe.
He was hospitalized late Wednesday due to a serious deterioration in his health condition. Doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron.
Shawamrah was released Tuesday morning along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners who were detained before the Oslo Accords. He spent 19 years in Israeli jails and in 2013 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Throughout his final days in prison, he was unable to walk.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners from Israeli jails in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
5,200 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of Oct. 2013, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs.
Since 1967, more than 650,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel, representing 20 percent of the total population and 40 percent of all males in the occupied territories.
As rumors circulate that Israel will refuse to release the final stage of 104 veteran prisoners, the Palestinian prisoners' minister says that would be a serious breach of agreement.
"From the very beginning, Israel reviewed the lists of prisoners to be released and approved them," Issa Qaraqe told Ma'an.
"In return, the Palestinian Authority agreed to abstain from filing complaints against Israel with international organizations, in order to go ahead with peace talks."
He said that if Israel refused to follow through with its agreement to release the fourth round of 26 prisoners, he would seek support from international organizations.
Of the 26 prisoners who are expected to be released in March, a number of inmates are Palestinians who hold Israeli citizenship. Israeli media and political analysts say the government will refuse to release them.
A Dec. 30 Channel 2 report cited unnamed Israeli officials as saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would refuse to release any "Israeli Arab" prisoners.
Israeli political analyst Eli Nissan told Ma'an that "the fourth group of prisoners will not include any Arab security prisoners."
The majority in Israel would oppose the release of such prisoners, Nissan said.
But President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that he remained committed to freeing all Palestinian veteran prisoners, including those with Israeli citizenship.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners jailed before the 1993 Oslo Accords in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
According to the PA Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs, 5,200 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of Oct. 2013.
"From the very beginning, Israel reviewed the lists of prisoners to be released and approved them," Issa Qaraqe told Ma'an.
"In return, the Palestinian Authority agreed to abstain from filing complaints against Israel with international organizations, in order to go ahead with peace talks."
He said that if Israel refused to follow through with its agreement to release the fourth round of 26 prisoners, he would seek support from international organizations.
Of the 26 prisoners who are expected to be released in March, a number of inmates are Palestinians who hold Israeli citizenship. Israeli media and political analysts say the government will refuse to release them.
A Dec. 30 Channel 2 report cited unnamed Israeli officials as saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would refuse to release any "Israeli Arab" prisoners.
Israeli political analyst Eli Nissan told Ma'an that "the fourth group of prisoners will not include any Arab security prisoners."
The majority in Israel would oppose the release of such prisoners, Nissan said.
But President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that he remained committed to freeing all Palestinian veteran prisoners, including those with Israeli citizenship.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners jailed before the 1993 Oslo Accords in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
According to the PA Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs, 5,200 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of Oct. 2013.
3 jan 2014
|
|
A note written by Naim Shawamrah reads: "No one can imagine the amount of pain I'm suffering."
A newly released Palestinian prisoner suffered a major deterioration in his health conditions only days after being released from Israeli prisons, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society said. Naim Shawamrah lost his ability to speak, fainted three times, and had several seizures on early Friday. Director of PPS's Hebron office Amjad al-Najjar said that Shawamrah regained consciousness at dawn, and wrote several notes.. |
"People! My saliva is going to kill me, and no one in this hospital can cure me," read one note.
It was signed: "A tormented prisoner."
On Thursday, PPS said Shawamrah had been hospitalized late Wednesday due to serious deterioration in his health condition.
Doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, al-Najjar said at the time.
Shawamrah was released Tuesday morning along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners who were detained before the Oslo Accords. He spent 19 years in Israeli jails and in 2013 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Throughout his final days in prison, he was unable to walk.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners from Israeli jails in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
5,200 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of Oct. 2013, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs.
Since 1967, more than 650,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel, representing 20 percent of the total population and 40 percent of all males in the occupied territories. Video
It was signed: "A tormented prisoner."
On Thursday, PPS said Shawamrah had been hospitalized late Wednesday due to serious deterioration in his health condition.
Doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, al-Najjar said at the time.
Shawamrah was released Tuesday morning along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners who were detained before the Oslo Accords. He spent 19 years in Israeli jails and in 2013 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Throughout his final days in prison, he was unable to walk.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners from Israeli jails in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
5,200 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of Oct. 2013, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs.
Since 1967, more than 650,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel, representing 20 percent of the total population and 40 percent of all males in the occupied territories. Video
By Khalid Amayreh in the West Bank
The Family of Naim Shawamreh, a 45-year-old Palestinian prisoner released by Israel on Tuesday has accused the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) of having deliberately injected him with a chemical substance that caused him an incurable illness.
The illness is known medically as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or (ALS). It is also known as Lou Gerig’s Disease.
According to medical dictionaries, ALS is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles (muscle action we are able to control, such as those in the arms, legs, and face).
Early symptoms include fasciculations, cramps, tight and stiff muscles (spasticity), muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg, slurred and nasal speech, or difficulty chewing or swallowing. These general complaints then develop into more obvious muscle weakness and atrophy, spreading to other parts of the body as the disease progresses
It is obvious that many of these symptoms appeared rather conspicuously on Naim who arrived at his home in an ambulance. He could hardly verbally communicate with well-wishers or the media.
Journalists were politely asked by Naim's family to refrain from "asking too many questions" in light of his health condition.
A strongly slurred speech and an inability to hold a microphone with his hands were noticed.
They wanted to kill him
Nabil, Naim's younger brother says Naim told him the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) deliberately injected him with a chemical substance that caused the ALS disease to afflict his body.
"He told me they (the Prison's doctor) gave him a pill seven months ago which caused several symptoms to appear on him including a severe swallowing of the face, severe headache and slurred speech.
"They simply wanted to kill him."
Nabil said the Israeli Prison Service admitted that that the "pill" was given to him by mistake.
Nabil, who didn't seem fully aware of his brother's medical condition, said he hoped Naim would be able to receive proper medical care abroad and be cured.
The Governor of Hebron who came to wish him well promised his family that every effort would be made to give him the best possible medical treatment.
Nabil was reminded of the gravity and seriousness of the charges he was voicing. He argued that his brother was in nearly perfect physical condition and that he only began to experience the illness soon after he was injected with "the pill."
The Israeli response
This correspondent contacted Sivan Wayzman, a spokeswoman for the IPS who categorically denied the accusations.
Wayzman, who expressed her astonishment at the charges, emailed the following response.
"The Israel Prison Service declines all allegations of any intended actions which allegedly caused the prisoner's disease. It is a well-known fact that there is little understanding of the causes of ALS disease. Nonetheless, 10 percent of the cases have to do with genetic disorders.
Since the prisoner has been diagnosed as suffering from it, he has been examined and treated by specialists who have lay out the ways in which he must be treated – the IPS has followed accordingly.
The court, who has discussed the prisoner's petition, concluded that the treatment he is receiving is professional and adjusted to his needs."
Ahmed Ibrahim is a medical doctor from the Hebron region specialized in muscular flaccidity. He says that it is not medically known that a given chemical or biological agent can cause the sudden occurrence of ALS.
However he noticed that Israel was highly advanced in the production of chemical and biological agents that can kill people either immediately or slowly.
He cited the Khalid Misha'al case in 1997, when two Mossad agents carrying fake Canadian passports tried to assassinate the Islamist Palestinian leader by smacking a device to Mishal's left ear that transmitted a fast-acting poison.
The two Mossad agents were captured and Israel was forced to hand over to the Jordanians the antidote that saved Mish'al's life.
However, despite his progressive disability and deteriorating health (it is unclear if he knows his condition is incurable), Naim maintained a broad smile as he thanked everyone that came to congratulate him.
His mother, although relieved that her son is finally free, is worried that he may not live long due to his incurable illness.
"I am really having a lot of mixed feelings. On the one hand I am happy that he is out of jail. On the other hand, I am extremely worried about his illness and the possibility that he won't recover. I implore God to cure him."
Khalid Amayreh is an American-educated journalist living in the Hebron region of the West Bank.
The Family of Naim Shawamreh, a 45-year-old Palestinian prisoner released by Israel on Tuesday has accused the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) of having deliberately injected him with a chemical substance that caused him an incurable illness.
The illness is known medically as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or (ALS). It is also known as Lou Gerig’s Disease.
According to medical dictionaries, ALS is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles (muscle action we are able to control, such as those in the arms, legs, and face).
Early symptoms include fasciculations, cramps, tight and stiff muscles (spasticity), muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg, slurred and nasal speech, or difficulty chewing or swallowing. These general complaints then develop into more obvious muscle weakness and atrophy, spreading to other parts of the body as the disease progresses
It is obvious that many of these symptoms appeared rather conspicuously on Naim who arrived at his home in an ambulance. He could hardly verbally communicate with well-wishers or the media.
Journalists were politely asked by Naim's family to refrain from "asking too many questions" in light of his health condition.
A strongly slurred speech and an inability to hold a microphone with his hands were noticed.
They wanted to kill him
Nabil, Naim's younger brother says Naim told him the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) deliberately injected him with a chemical substance that caused the ALS disease to afflict his body.
"He told me they (the Prison's doctor) gave him a pill seven months ago which caused several symptoms to appear on him including a severe swallowing of the face, severe headache and slurred speech.
"They simply wanted to kill him."
Nabil said the Israeli Prison Service admitted that that the "pill" was given to him by mistake.
Nabil, who didn't seem fully aware of his brother's medical condition, said he hoped Naim would be able to receive proper medical care abroad and be cured.
The Governor of Hebron who came to wish him well promised his family that every effort would be made to give him the best possible medical treatment.
Nabil was reminded of the gravity and seriousness of the charges he was voicing. He argued that his brother was in nearly perfect physical condition and that he only began to experience the illness soon after he was injected with "the pill."
The Israeli response
This correspondent contacted Sivan Wayzman, a spokeswoman for the IPS who categorically denied the accusations.
Wayzman, who expressed her astonishment at the charges, emailed the following response.
"The Israel Prison Service declines all allegations of any intended actions which allegedly caused the prisoner's disease. It is a well-known fact that there is little understanding of the causes of ALS disease. Nonetheless, 10 percent of the cases have to do with genetic disorders.
Since the prisoner has been diagnosed as suffering from it, he has been examined and treated by specialists who have lay out the ways in which he must be treated – the IPS has followed accordingly.
The court, who has discussed the prisoner's petition, concluded that the treatment he is receiving is professional and adjusted to his needs."
Ahmed Ibrahim is a medical doctor from the Hebron region specialized in muscular flaccidity. He says that it is not medically known that a given chemical or biological agent can cause the sudden occurrence of ALS.
However he noticed that Israel was highly advanced in the production of chemical and biological agents that can kill people either immediately or slowly.
He cited the Khalid Misha'al case in 1997, when two Mossad agents carrying fake Canadian passports tried to assassinate the Islamist Palestinian leader by smacking a device to Mishal's left ear that transmitted a fast-acting poison.
The two Mossad agents were captured and Israel was forced to hand over to the Jordanians the antidote that saved Mish'al's life.
However, despite his progressive disability and deteriorating health (it is unclear if he knows his condition is incurable), Naim maintained a broad smile as he thanked everyone that came to congratulate him.
His mother, although relieved that her son is finally free, is worried that he may not live long due to his incurable illness.
"I am really having a lot of mixed feelings. On the one hand I am happy that he is out of jail. On the other hand, I am extremely worried about his illness and the possibility that he won't recover. I implore God to cure him."
Khalid Amayreh is an American-educated journalist living in the Hebron region of the West Bank.
2 dec 2014
Freed Palestinian prisoner Naim Shawamrah was hospitalized late Wednesday due to serious deterioration in his health condition, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society said.
Shawamrah was taken to an emergency room in Dura south of Hebron Wednesday night, said Amjad al-Najjar, director of the Society's Hebron office.
Early Thursday, doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, al-Najjar said.
Shawamrah was released Tuesday morning along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners who were detained before the Oslo Accords. He spent 19 years in Israeli jails and in 2013 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Throughout his final days in prison, he was unable to walk.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners from Israeli jails in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
Shawamrah was taken to an emergency room in Dura south of Hebron Wednesday night, said Amjad al-Najjar, director of the Society's Hebron office.
Early Thursday, doctors said his condition was worsening, and transferred him to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, al-Najjar said.
Shawamrah was released Tuesday morning along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners who were detained before the Oslo Accords. He spent 19 years in Israeli jails and in 2013 was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Throughout his final days in prison, he was unable to walk.
Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners from Israeli jails in conjunction with US-mediated peace talks with the PLO. Tuesday marked the release of the third round of prisoners.
1 jan 2014
President Mahmoud Abbas remains committed to freeing all veteran Palestinian prisoners, including those from areas inside Israel, a prisoners' committee said in a statement Wednesday.
During a Tuesday meeting with a committee representing Palestinian prisoners from areas inside Israel, Abbas said an agreement was in place stipulating that veteran prisoners from "1948 areas" would also be released in conjunction with the current set of peace talks, the statement said.
The list of those to be released was approved by Israel and the United States mediators, Abbas was quoted as saying.
The statement said that Palestinian negotiators phoned the American mediators to discuss remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning veteran prisoners who hold Israeli citizenship.
The Americans confirmed that all prisoners detained before Oslo would be freed, including those with Israeli citizenship, the statement said.
Israel agreed to release 104 veteran Palestinian prisoners who have been in custody since before the 1993 Oslo Accords as part of a plan to resume peace negotiations after talks were halted for more than two years.
Seventy-eight prisoners have been released since peace talks began, 26 of whom were freed early Tuesday.
During a Tuesday meeting with a committee representing Palestinian prisoners from areas inside Israel, Abbas said an agreement was in place stipulating that veteran prisoners from "1948 areas" would also be released in conjunction with the current set of peace talks, the statement said.
The list of those to be released was approved by Israel and the United States mediators, Abbas was quoted as saying.
The statement said that Palestinian negotiators phoned the American mediators to discuss remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning veteran prisoners who hold Israeli citizenship.
The Americans confirmed that all prisoners detained before Oslo would be freed, including those with Israeli citizenship, the statement said.
Israel agreed to release 104 veteran Palestinian prisoners who have been in custody since before the 1993 Oslo Accords as part of a plan to resume peace negotiations after talks were halted for more than two years.
Seventy-eight prisoners have been released since peace talks began, 26 of whom were freed early Tuesday.
31 dec 2013
"Building in the territories in exchange for freeing prisoners is the equation created by the Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu since the negotiations began," Israel's channel 2 stated in a recent report on its screen. Since the beginning of the negotiations, the Israeli government has progressed in the construction of 8,056 housing units in the occupied territories, the channel said.
The channel claimed that the building of these housing units has still not started, but it affirmed that an aerial tour of the West Bank reveals the actual construction of thousands of housing units already.
"The largest amount of construction is reported to be in Bracha, close to Nablus. Not far away, in Yitzhar, another construction project appears to be in the works these days. A similar picture emerges in the landscape of Nehemiah. The building boom did not skip over Ariel either," the report elaborated further.
"So how many housing units are being built these days in the territories? According to estimates by settlers, about 1,400 housing units are being built in the territories. The Israel central bureau of statistics states about 2,500 housing units are being constructed, while if you ask Peace Now, the number is about 3,000."
"Every increase in settlement construction within the territories brings home the message that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas cannot justify the Palestinians continuing to negotiate with Israel."
"If Netanyahu really wants a two-state solution, there is no reason now to build thousands of housing units in the territories," the channel quoted Lior Amichai of Peace Now as saying.
"Netanyahu is exploiting the negotiations and the release of prisoners in order to build and certify thousands of housing units," Amichai added.
It also quoted Yigal Dilmoni, Yesha council head, as saying that the release of Palestinian prisoners "is designed to satisfy their desire for negotiations, the Palestinians and some elements of the government."
The channel claimed that the building of these housing units has still not started, but it affirmed that an aerial tour of the West Bank reveals the actual construction of thousands of housing units already.
"The largest amount of construction is reported to be in Bracha, close to Nablus. Not far away, in Yitzhar, another construction project appears to be in the works these days. A similar picture emerges in the landscape of Nehemiah. The building boom did not skip over Ariel either," the report elaborated further.
"So how many housing units are being built these days in the territories? According to estimates by settlers, about 1,400 housing units are being built in the territories. The Israel central bureau of statistics states about 2,500 housing units are being constructed, while if you ask Peace Now, the number is about 3,000."
"Every increase in settlement construction within the territories brings home the message that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas cannot justify the Palestinians continuing to negotiate with Israel."
"If Netanyahu really wants a two-state solution, there is no reason now to build thousands of housing units in the territories," the channel quoted Lior Amichai of Peace Now as saying.
"Netanyahu is exploiting the negotiations and the release of prisoners in order to build and certify thousands of housing units," Amichai added.
It also quoted Yigal Dilmoni, Yesha council head, as saying that the release of Palestinian prisoners "is designed to satisfy their desire for negotiations, the Palestinians and some elements of the government."
|
|
Israel has freed 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal for the resumption of so-called peace talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA), an official says.
The release, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, was the third of four planned stages for freeing Palestinian prisoners. All of the 26 Palestinians have spent between 19 and 28 years in Israeli prisons. "Two vans carrying (18) prisoners left Ofer prison and were headed to Ramallah" in the occupied West Bank, the unnamed Palestinian official said, adding that three other prisoners were released to the Gaza Strip, and five to East al-Quds. |
|
|
Two batches of 26 Palestinian prisoners were freed earlier in August and October.
Tel Aviv had said 104 Palestinians would be freed in stages following the start of the negotiations on July 30. More than 4,500 Palestinian prisoners are held in Israeli prisons, many of them without charge or trial. In October, a large number of Palestinians from different political movements took to the streets of the West Bank city of Ramallah to call on the Palestinian Authority to pull out from the talks with Israel. Supporters of all Palestinian factions, including the Islamic resistance movement Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, gathered in central Arafat square to protest against the talks. The protesters said the talks are useless and acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas must withdraw from the negotiations. They also called on the Palestinian Authority to take the regime in Tel Aviv to the International Criminal Court for its crimes against the people of Palestine. 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners freed Israel released 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners Tuesday at 2:15 a.m. completing a third stage of the release of 104 prisoners held in Israeli jails before the Oslo Accords of 1994. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to set the prisoners free before peace talks between Israel and the PLO were resumed in July. Eighteen prisoners from the West Bank were released from Ofer detention center near the Ramallah-area town of Beitunia, while five prisoners from Jerusalem were set free at al-Zaytouna checkpoint near al-Ezariya in East Jerusalem. Three inmates from the Gaza Strip were freed at Erez checkpoint on the borders between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip. The West Bank prisoners headed immediately to the presidential compound in Ramallah where they were welcomed by President Mahmoud Abbas along with PA officials and thousands of citizens. |
The prisoners laid flowers at the tomb of late Palestinian president and leader Yasser Arafat in the courtyard of the presidential compound.
In the presence of the freed veteran prisoners, Abbas lighted a torch commemorating the 49th anniversary of Fatah movement and the Palestinian revolution.
When prisoners were released from Ofer detention center, Israeli forces fired tear-gas canisters at the crowds who gathered outside to celebrate the release.
Similarly, Israeli troops dispersed with stun grenades hundreds of Jerusalem residents who crowded near al-Ezariya to celebrate.
Israeli intelligence asked families of Jerusalem prisoners to wait at Zaytouna checkpoint, while five prisoners were taken to a military base near Isawiya.
Each family was then allowed to send one vehicle into the military base to receive prisoners before leaving.
In the presence of the freed veteran prisoners, Abbas lighted a torch commemorating the 49th anniversary of Fatah movement and the Palestinian revolution.
When prisoners were released from Ofer detention center, Israeli forces fired tear-gas canisters at the crowds who gathered outside to celebrate the release.
Similarly, Israeli troops dispersed with stun grenades hundreds of Jerusalem residents who crowded near al-Ezariya to celebrate.
Israeli intelligence asked families of Jerusalem prisoners to wait at Zaytouna checkpoint, while five prisoners were taken to a military base near Isawiya.
Each family was then allowed to send one vehicle into the military base to receive prisoners before leaving.
|
|
Twenty-six veteran Palestinian prisoners will be released after midnight at Ofer detention center near Beitunia in the West Bank and at Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip simultaneously, an official said Monday.
Undersecretary of the Palestinian ministry of prisoners affairs Ziad Abu Ein said he and minister Issa Qaraqe along with others will enter Ofer detention center at 11 p.m. to receive the West Bank prisoners. They prisoners will then travel in Palestinian buses to the presidential compound in Ramallah for an official and public reception. Buses will be waiting at Ofer detention center at 6 p.m. A special ambulance will also be waiting to transfer sick prisoner Naim Shawamrah from Hebron. |
President Mahmoud Abbas and his prime minister Rami Hamdallah will welcome the prisoners in front of the tomb of late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat.
The president and freed prisoners will light a torch commemorating the 49th anniversary of the Palestinian revolution.
Prisoners will then leave to their hometowns for local and family celebrations.
The president and freed prisoners will light a torch commemorating the 49th anniversary of the Palestinian revolution.
Prisoners will then leave to their hometowns for local and family celebrations.
