Palestinians woke up on Tuesday to sad news reporting the martyrdom of cancer-stricken prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid, a prominent fighter who took part in several heroic acts of resistance against Israeli occupation in the West Bank.
The 51-year-old prisoner is seen by the Zionist occupation as a “mass-murdering terrorist” and referred to by Israeli media as the founder of Al-Aqsa Brigades resistance group.
He “was once considered to be the right-hand man to Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian militant also serving a sentence, was convicted of at least seven Israeli deaths and sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences plus 50 years,” Ynet reported.
“Slow Death”
Abu Hamid died of cancer in Israeli custody on Tuesday morning after being neglected by the so-called Israel Prison Service (IPS).
He was diagnosed with lung cancer last August, and his condition has deteriorated since then with cancer cells spreading throughout his body including to his brain, the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission.
The commission accused the IPS of deliberately killing Abu Hamid, saying his cancer should have been discovered earlier and treated better.
Strong Mother: “Palestine’s Oak”
Family of martyr Abu Hamid stressed it won’t accept condolences till the release of his body by the occupation authorities.
“Surely we won’t receive condolences until his body is handed over,” Abu Hamid’s mother, Latifa Abu Hamid, said on Tuesday.
“Despite all forms of pain, thank God I’m strong. We are stronger than them (Israelis) despite their tyranny,” said the mother, who is known as “Palestine’s Oak”, referring to her steadfastness.
Latifa Abu Hamid is a mother of a martyr, who was killed by IOF in 1994, and other four prisoners who are serving life sentences in Israeli prisons. Now she is a mother of two martyrs and four prisoners.
Who Is Nasser Abu Hamid
Born in 1972, Nasser Abu Hamid was arrested for first time as he was 11 years old, and was released several days later.
He was arrested for four months before the First Intifada in 1987. He was re-arrested for two years and a half.
Media coverage: “An archive picture of late Palestinian resistance fighter Nasser Abu Hmeid during the early years of the 2nd Palestinian Intifada in early 2000s. Abu Hmeid died today as a result of medical negligence in Israeli jails, where he was serving seven life sentences”. pic.twitter.com/3Lbx2rlGlw
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 20, 2022
Abu Hamid joined the ranks of Fatah resistance movement and was one of its prominent fighters during the First Intifada.
He was arrested for the third time in 1990 and received a life sentence, before being freed in a swap deal after four years.
Israeli occupation authorities re-arrested Abu Hamid in 1996. He spent three years in Israeli prison, and was released three years later.
In the Second Intifada in 2000, Abu Hamid was one of the prominent commanders of Al-Aqsa Brigades. He was arrested in 2002 and was and sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences plus 50 years.
Israeli occupation demolished the house of Abu Hamid’s family five times, and his father died while he was in prison.
He spent a total of 30 years in Israeli prisons before being martyred due to Israeli medical negligence.
Reactions to Abu Hamid’s Martyrdom
Following Abu Hmeid’s martyrdom, some Palestinian groups called for a general strike in the West Bank, including the Palestinian Bar Association and General Union of Palestinian Teachers, who called for work to halt beginning at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
Palestinians take to the streets in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, in protest of the tragic death of Palestinian prisoner Nasser Abu Hmeid as a result of medical negligence in Israeli jails, today. pic.twitter.com/dhZhLEtLpW
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 20, 2022
National factions called Palestinians in occupied Al-Quds to stage a sit-in at Al-Aqsa compound’s Bab Al-Amoud, also known as Damascus Gate, later on Tuesday to protest against the martyrdom of Abu Hamid.
Palestinian prisoners across the lsraeli jails express their anger at the death of the cancer-stricken Palestinian prisoner Nasser Abu Hmeid who died of medical negligence. pic.twitter.com/xRJDeJC9vL
— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) December 20, 2022
Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Hussein Sheikh said the group was waiting for the Israeli occupation to hand over the body of Abu Hamid.
He added that Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas called Abu Hamid’s mother and offered condolences over his martyrdom.
For his part, Head of Hamas’ politburo Ismail Haniyeh considered martyrdom of Abu Hamid as a new Israeli crime that “won’t go unpunished.”
“The resistance won’t hesitate to follow in the steps of the resistance martyrs who had fought against the Israeli occupation,” Haniyeh was quoted as saying by Palestinian media.
Source: Israeli and Palestinian media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)
