On December 20, 2022, the Israeli Prison Service announced that Nasser Abu Hamid (51) had passed away in custody as a result of lung cancer.
Abu Hamid, serving multiple life sentences in Israeli prison, was one of the most notorious terrorists to emerge from the Second Intifada.
One of the founders of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades terrorist organization, Abu Hamid was responsible for the deaths of seven Israelis (either by directly taking part in their murders or coordinating them from a distance) and was also convicted on numerous counts of attempted murder. In addition, Abu Hamid was known for taking part in the infamous 2000 lynching of two Israeli reservists in Ramallah.
Abu Hamid previously served time in Israeli prison for killing five Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel but had later been released as part of the Oslo peace process.
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Following the announcement of his death in a Tel Aviv-area hospital, some Palestinian officials blamed Israel for Abu Hamid’s demise. Palestinian Authority prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh accused Israel of “deliberate medical negligence” while Hamas claimed that Abu Hamid’s death was a “serious crime.”
In response to Abu Hamid’s death, a general strike was called in major Palestinian centers in the West Bank, and protest rallies were held in both the West Bank and Gaza.
Palestinians accuse Israel after a terrorist convict dies in prison
'He was a sick man, really sick man, for a long time – for a few years. And the medical file is open, even for the Palestinian Authority,' @AEviatar says.
With @calev_i24 pic.twitter.com/6gPyW23N2E
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) December 21, 2022
Unfortunately, lung cancer is one of the most deadly forms of cancer for both Israelis and Palestinians. In Israel, lung cancer is the number one cancer cause of death for Israelis (with the highest mortality rates among men) while lung cancer is the most fatal type of cancer for Palestinian men.
Of course, the claim that Abu Hamid’s death from late-stage lung cancer was the result of deliberate medical negligence on the part of Israel is absurd and only serves to inflame tensions and raise the likelihood of regional violence.
Let’s add cancer to the long list of things the Palestinians blame Israel for. https://t.co/agkAtF1KCz
— Simon Plosker (@SimonPlosker) December 20, 2022
Media Coverage of Nasser Abu Hamid’s Death
Most international media quoted Palestinian officials’ claims as well as the Israeli Prison Service’s response that there was no negligence and that Abu Hamid had received “close and regular treatment” by Israeli medical personnel since his 2021 diagnosis.
Several media organizations, however, failed to record the Israeli Prison Service’s response, seemingly giving more weight and authority to the absurd claims of “deliberate neglect” by Palestinian officials and political leaders.
For example, AFP’s “Palestinians protest death of prisoner in Israel” only mentions in passing that Abu Hamid was being treated by Israel (without mentioning the Prison Service’s statement on the quality of care that he was receiving) while giving full voice to the absurd allegations made by Palestinian leaders regarding his death.
Furthermore, far-left news source Democracy Now! presented Palestinian claims without even mentioning his treatment by Israeli medical personnel or relaying the Israeli Prison Service’s statement.
Related Reading: While Israeli Hostages in Gaza Are Forgotten, Media Fixate On Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails
The Associated Press’ otherwise reasonable coverage of Nasser Abu Hamid’s death notes that “Abu Hamid’s death came as one of the deadliest years in Israeli-Palestinian fighting in recent decades draws to a close,” seemingly connecting his death from cancer to the uptick in violence between Israeli security forces and violent Palestinian groups that was observed this year.
While the Palestinian Authority appears hellbent on using Abu Hamid’s death to incite further violence, his death from natural causes is completely unconnected to the rise in violence that was already taking place.
Related Reading: Does the Moral High Ground Belong to the Side That Loses More People?
Therefore, instead of contributing to the Palestinian incitement and inflaming a volatile situation, media organizations should avoid parroting unfounded allegations made by Palestinian officials and political leaders without providing their audience with the Israeli response to these claims.
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