PLO accuses Israel of medically neglecting prisoners

The PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs posted an image and text on its Facebook page

The image shows Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr.

Posted text: “[Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri] Abu Bakr: The deterioration in the cancer patient prisoners’ condition stems from deliberate medical neglect (sic., see note below regarding PA libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners)

Dec. 10, 2022

In an interview with [the website of the paper Al-Quds,] Alquds.com, Director of Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr emphasized that the medical neglect and lack of early diagnosis of prisoners who are sick with cancer are one of the reasons for the deterioration in the condition of the sick, as their early discovery [of cancer] is deliberately being delayed.”

[PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs, Facebook page, Dec. 10, 2022]

Libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners - The PA claims that Israel abuses Palestinian prisoners through medical neglect, medical experiments, and by intentionally infecting them with diseases. However, the International Red Cross regularly visits these prisoners and has not documented or accused Israel of any of these claims. Likewise, lists of demands occasionally issued by the prisoners during hunger strikes—such as during one in 2011—include no demands relating to these claims. PMW has documented prisoners talking about how they "lack nothing" in the prisons and that "the worst thing about Israeli prison" is riding in a prison vehicle that has no padding on the seat. When PMW contacted the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2007 regarding PA claims of medical experiments on prisoners, the ministry responded: "Clinical testing on prisoners in prison was never approved, never performed, and is most certainly not taking place at present."