Family of prisoner Asfour appeals for saving life of its son in Israeli jails

The father of prisoner Asfour said his son lost parts of his limbs, guts and the entire pancreas during the war, which caused him to suffer from diabetes and become unable to urinate, change clothes on his own, and eat food without help from others.

He explained, that his son underwent surgeries in Egypt, however  his health worsened and he was advised to continue his medical treatment in Jerusalem hospitals.

His father, who escorted his him during his travel for treatment, added that when his son received official approval to be hospitalized in Jerusalem, the Israeli troops at Beit Hanoun crossing in Gaza kidnapped him without any consideration for his difficult health condition, affirming that his son is one of the civilian victims and has nothing to do with any military action.

He also asserted that his son needs an ugent pancreas transplant and other critical surgeries, however the Israeli prison administration still refuses to transfer him to hospital.

For his part, Ra’fat Hamdouna, the director of Al-Ahrar center for prisoners’ studies, called on the Red Cross to intervene to save the life of prisoner Asfour.

In another development, the higher national committee for the support of prisoners strongly denounced the Israeli government and the Knesset for their decision to take tougher punitive measures on Palestinian prisoners.

Riyadh Al-Ashqar, the information director of the committee, said that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, through such a decision, is trying to escape the pressures put on him by the settlers who demand him to end the file of soldier Gilad Shalit.

Ashqar warned that the Palestinian prisoners could escalate their protest steps and revolt if Netanyahu carried out his threats to take retaliatory measures against them.

He affirmed that Netanyahu intends to deprive all prisoners from family visits and only allow the Red Cross representatives to visit them every three months as well as to intensify the policy of solitary confinement for indefinite periods against them and deprive them of watching TV, reading books and receiving education in prison.