JERUSALEM: Walid Daqqah, a Palestinian who spent 38 years in Israeli prisons for his involvement with a group implicated in the killing of an Israeli soldier, passed away on Sunday due to cancer, as reported by local media.
Daqqah, 62 years old and an Israeli citizen, succumbed to a rare bone marrow cancer at the Shamir Medical Center near Tel Aviv. His battle with cancer began in December 2022, following a previous diagnosis of leukemia.
Arrested in March 1986, Daqqah was sentenced for his affiliation with an armed cell of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which was responsible for the abduction and murder of an Israeli soldier in 1984. Originally sentenced to life imprisonment, his term was later reduced to 37 years, with an additional two years added in 2018 after attempting to smuggle mobile phones into prison. He was slated for release in March 2025.
Despite appeals for medical parole, the Palestinian Prisoners Club confirmed that Daqqah’s requests were denied by Israeli authorities.
Amnesty International reiterated calls for Daqqah’s release, citing alleged mistreatment and medical neglect since October 2023.
Meanwhile, Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian detainee in Israeli custody, continues to garner attention. Barghouti, a former Fatah leader, has served 20 years for his involvement in anti-Israeli activities during the early 2000s.
Barghouti’s supporters had hoped for his release under a prisoner exchange agreement reached in November 2023 between Israel and Hamas, following Hamas attacks on October 7 that resulted in the release of 80 Israeli hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners. However, subsequent negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have not yielded further agreements.
The passing of Walid Daqqah underscores the enduring complexities surrounding Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, with ongoing international scrutiny and advocacy for their treatment and release.
