TULKARM, May 8, 2025 (WAFA) – Former Palestinian detainee Moatasem Taleb Raddad, 43, from the town of Seida in the northern West Bank province of Tulkarm, passed away on Thursday evening in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, after a long battle with cancer, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society.

Raddad, who had been exiled to Egypt following his release as part of the prisoner exchange agreement in January, was among the most medically severe cases among Palestinian prisoners. His health condition had significantly deteriorated over the years due to the systematic medical neglect during his nearly 20-year imprisonment in Israeli jails.

He was transferred to a hospital in Egypt immediately after his release, but his condition had already reached a critical stage, leading to his death just months later.

Raddad was detained in 2006 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. During his imprisonment, he suffered injuries from shrapnel and subsequently developed multiple chronic and life-threatening health issues, including severe intestinal inflammation, chronic internal bleeding, hypertension, respiratory distress, irregular heartbeat, and intense pain in his back and joints.

Despite his worsening health, Raddad faced consistent medical neglect and poor prison conditions. He was frequently moved between Ofer Prison and the Ramla prison clinic for treatment, but these transfers — combined with harsh treatment and inadequate care —have exacerbated his suffering.

M.N