Imprisoned Palestinian novelist and activist Walid Daqqa’s health has deteriorated even further since he was diagnosed with cancer last year, his family has said, as Israeli authorities refuse to release him.
Daqqa’s case has garnered international attention, with human rights organisations demanding his immediate release to receive urgent medical treatment.
His wife, Sana Salama, has expressed deep concern over Walid’s critical condition and the limited access they have to visitations, which are strictly regulated by hospital permits.
“I was allowed to see him about four weeks ago, his condition is very critical. He is not allowed to meet his daughter Milad since he fell sick,” Sana Salama told TRT World.
Daqqa, who has been detained since 1986, is known for his activism and intellectual contributions within the Palestinian prisoners movement. He was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in December 2022.
The Israeli authorities have rejected requests for his release.
Salama attributes Walid’s deteriorating health to the negligence and lack of proper medical follow-up within the prison system.
She said she holds the Israeli occupation accountable for his deteriorating health, stating that the blood disease, which ultimately developed into cancer, could have been prevented with adequate medical care.
On May 22, Israeli authorities transferred Daqqa to the intensive care unit at the Assaf Harofeh hospital south of Tel Aviv as his health complications worsened. However, three days later, they returned him to the Ramleh prison’s clinic in Israel, known for its harsh conditions.
This decision was made despite appeals from rights groups to keep him hospitalised for continuous monitoring and treatment, unless he is released.
The Israeli Public Prosecution has opposed Daqqa’s release, “emphasising their refusal to show leniency even in the face of his critical condition”, Salama said.
In 1999, while serving a 37-year sentence for his involvement in the killing of an Israeli soldier, Daqqa married Salameh. He was supposed to be released in February upon completing his jail term, but authorities extended his sentence by two years for smuggling mobile phones.
“We call international institutions and forums to put pressure on the occupation in order to release Walid. There must be movement at the political, official, national and moral levels towards the Palestinian prisoners,” the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Daqqa’s imprisonment also violates the 1993 Oslo Accords, which included a clause mandating the release of all Palestinian prisoners detained prior to the signing of the agreement.
Daqqa’s contributions
Daqqa, throughout his extensive period of detention, has authored numerous books, studies, and articles, contributing to the understanding of the prison experience and resistance.
Admitted to the hospital on March 23, 2023, after a sharp deterioration in his health, Daqqa was diagnosed with myelofibrosis—a rare form of bone marrow cancer—stemming from leukemia diagnosed nearly a decade ago. His condition was left untreated, exacerbating his current medical crisis.
After experiencing acute pneumonia and renal failure, he underwent surgery on April 12 to remove a significant portion of his right lung. However, he has faced complications following the surgery, including severe respiratory suffocation and infection.
“Israel continues to insist on sending him back to the Ramleh prison clinic, and with each instance of his lung infection, we grow increasingly concerned for his life. However, we are forbidden from being by his side and providing support during his illness,” Salameh told TRT World.
The Ramleh prison clinic, the sole facility designated for the care of sick Palestinian prisoners, serves as a permanent residence for wounded and chronically ill prisoners.
Housed within a section of a security prison constructed by Britain in 1934, the two-room clinic is considered inadequate for providing the necessary medical treatment and care in critical situations.
Some Palestinian prisoners have referred to it as the “slaughterhouse” due to the significant number of casualties it has witnessed.
Despite facing numerous restrictions, including book bans, Daqqa managed to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees while in prison.
He defied these limitations and published novels, articles, and poems that shed light on the Palestinian struggle against the occupation, reaching a global audience.
Daqqa was denied the opportunity to bid farewell to his late father or visit his mother, who has been battling Alzheimer’s for the past decade.
His family maintain hope that Daqqa will be released from prison and reunite with his daughter Milad, who was born after Daqqa smuggled his sperm out of prison that was used to conceive his wife.
Salameh gave birth to their daughter Milad in 2020. She recalls Daqqa’s words to her in their last meeting.
“You are my message to the future,” Walid told Milad,” Salameh told TRT World.
“We will keep trying for release but we don’t have enough time, his health is getting worse with each passing day.”
Source: TRTworld.com