26 Prisoners with Cancer Face Slow Death in Occupation Prisons

The Palestine Center for Prisoner Studies confirmed that 26 prisoners in occupation prisons suffer from various forms of cancer and face death at any moment, as the occupation provides them no adequate treatment, offering only painkillers.

Riad al-Ashqar, the center’s director and researcher, said in a report issued to mark World Cancer Day, observed annually on February 4, that prisoners with cancer are dying slowly inside occupation prisons due to the severity of their medical conditions, the absence of proper treatment, and the harsh detention conditions that strip them of the most basic necessities of life. The occupation makes no distinction between a sick prisoner and a healthy one.

Al-Ashqar explained that prisoners with cancer endure a double agony: on one side, a deadly illness that causes unbearable pain and may claim their lives at any time; on the other, brutal detention conditions that have worsened significantly since October 7, 2023, when occupation prison administrations intensified their repressive measures, tightened restrictions on prisoners, and stripped them of fundamental rights, including medical care, healthcare, and adequate food.

Al-Ashqar revealed that cancer was the leading cause of death among prisoners who died from deliberate medical neglect before October 7. The occupation refuses to transfer them to civilian hospitals for necessary care, limiting treatment to painkillers. Since the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, however, torture has become the primary cause of prisoner deaths.

The most recent prisoner to die from cancer in recent months was Mahmoud Talal Abdullah, 49, from Jenin. After medical examinations, he was found to have advanced-stage cancer. The occupation refused to release him or provide adequate treatment. He was transferred to the prison known as “Ramla Hospital,” and after his condition deteriorated severely, he was moved to Assaf Harofeh Hospital, where his death was announced in October of last year.

Muhammad Anwar Labd, 57, from the Gaza Strip, also died. Arrested during the genocidal war, he was found to have cancer and died in December 2024 as a result of deliberate medical neglect.

Al-Ashqar noted that two of the prisoners with cancer are women: Fida Assaf, 47, from Qalqilya, who suffers from leukemia and has been detained for a year, with the occupation refusing to release her despite the severity of her condition; and Suhair Zaaqiq from Hebron, who suffers from fibroids and cancerous masses. Neither receives any adequate treatment.

He pointed out that a number of cancer-stricken prisoners are long-serving detainees who have spent years in occupation prisons. Among them is Jamal Ibrahim Amro from Hebron, detained since 2004, who was diagnosed with intestinal cancer inside prison in 2018. The cancer later spread to his liver and kidneys as a result of medical neglect and failure to provide necessary treatment. He is serving a life sentence, and his health is in extremely poor condition.

Fawaz Saba Baara from Nablus, also detained since 2004 and serving three life sentences, suffers from cancer and serious heart problems. He requires open-heart surgery that the occupation refuses to perform, leaving him in a dire medical state.

Al-Ashqar said the harsh detention conditions and ongoing violations against prisoners create a fertile environment for the spread of serious diseases. Periodically, a prisoner is diagnosed with cancer or another severe illness that has worsened in their body due to prolonged deliberate medical neglect and denial of treatment, placing their lives at imminent risk.

Al-Ashqar warned of the real danger threatening the lives of prisoners with cancer, given the occupation’s disregard for their lives, the severity of the disease, their deteriorating health, and the absence of genuine treatment, particularly the urgent chemotherapy that a number of them need. In many cases, this has led to prisoners being released only after their health reached critical stages, while others have died.

Al-Ashqar called on all international organizations and bodies, especially the World Health Organization, to intervene urgently to save the lives of sick prisoners in general and cancer patients in particular, and to work seriously toward their release before it is too late.Palestine Center for Prisoner Studies February 4, 2026