Hamas Calls for Urgent Legal Action to Stop ‘Systematic Assassinations’ of Palestinian Detainees

By Staff, Agencies

Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas official, has urged international institutions dedicated to detainees’ rights to fulfill their duties regarding the ongoing systematic killings of Palestinian detainees within “Israeli” prisons.

In a press statement published on Monday, Mardawi said these institutions, led by the International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC], are obliged to monitor the conditions of Palestinian detainees and take concrete measures to halt their systematic torture and daily mistreatment.

Mardawi said under international law, sanctions must be imposed against "Israel", with perpetrators of detainee rights abuses prosecuted and their crimes exposed globally.

He further mentioned that the ongoing targeting of detainees and prisoner rights advocates constitutes a blatant breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which explicitly calls for imposing effective penalties on those who commit violations against detainees.

Mardawi underscored the importance of effective Palestinian action, at all levels, to free detainees from harsh detention conditions and to send a strong message globally that the Palestinian people will not abandon their fellow countrymen.

Earlier on Saturday, Palestinian prisoner advocacy organizations said a 60-year-old Palestinian detainee, Mohyee al-Din Fahmi Najem, passed away in "Israeli" custody after enduring harsh conditions and systematic medical negligence in "Israeli" prisons.

Fatah, the party led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, called his martyrdom “a deliberate execution,” blaming "Israeli" prison officials for denying him medical care despite his serious condition.

Human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over the treatment of sick Palestinian detainees in "Israeli" prisons, particularly those held without charge under administrative detention.