Palestinian official urges ‘immediate’ release of prisoner who has COVID-19

12 July 2020, 4:48 pm

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Palestinian Liberation Organization Secretary General Saeb Erekat demands the “immediate and unconditional” release of a Palestinian terror convict infected with coronavirus while in Israeli jail.

Kamal Abu Waer, 46, is serving several life sentences at Gilboa Prison for his role in several terror attacks against Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada as a member of the Tanzim, an armed branch of the Palestinian Fatah movement.

Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary-General Saeb Erekat speaks at the J Street National Conference, in Washington, October 28, 2019. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

“We have warned the international community in recent past months of the risk of coronavirus spreading among prisoners. We have appealed to the nations of the world and human rights organizations to intervene, but Israel did not respond to Palestinian and international demands and evaded compliance with international humanitarian law,” Erekat says.

Erekat calls for an “international panel” to investigate the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

— Aaron Boxerman