Warnings of the Death of Prisoner Akram Al-Qawasmi and the Occupation Buries a Jerusalemite Child in 'Cemeteries of Numbers'

Palestinian human rights organizations have launched an urgent appeal to save the life of the Jerusalemite prisoner Akram Al-Qawasmi, detained in the Israeli Gilboa Prison, confirming that his health condition has reached a critical stage. Sources clarified that Al-Qawasmi is subjected to a series of violent and systematic physical assaults by the jailers, which has led to a frightening decline in his motor and sensory abilities.

Field reports indicate that prisoner Al-Qawasmi is currently suffering from severe emaciation, to the extent that he is unable to move normally and his fellow prisoners are forced to carry him. These developments come after an escalation in raids on prisoners' cells since the end of Ramadan, with Al-Qawasmi being specifically targeted as one of the prominent figures in the prisoner movement.

Released prisoners conveyed harsh testimonies about Al-Qawasmi's detention conditions, noting that jailers deliberately hit him repeatedly on the head. These assaults caused internal bleeding, leading to the loss of about 80% of his hearing and sight on the right side, and 20% on the left side, amidst a complete deprivation of medical treatment.

Sources confirmed that one of the jailers directly threatened prisoner Al-Qawasmi with death, telling him: 'You will be the first person to die.' This incitement comes amid the policy of tightening restrictions led by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who previously objected to including Al-Qawasmi's name in any prisoner exchange deal.

Prisoner Akram Al-Qawasmi, 52 years old, hails from Hebron and his family resides in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem. He has been detained since 1996 for his activity in the Al-Qassam Brigades and his leadership of the 'Holy Vengeance' operations in response to the assassination of leader Yahya Ayyash, and is serving a life sentence.

Despite years of long detention and harsh conditions, Al-Qawasmi managed to continue his education behind bars. He obtained a bachelor's degree in history, then a master's degree in Israeli studies, leading to a doctorate in Jerusalem studies, which made him a constant target for the prison service.

In a related context of occupation violations, the Wadi Hilweh Information Center revealed a new crime related to the detention of martyrs' bodies. The Israeli Public Prosecution informed the Supreme Court that it had buried the body of the child martyr Wadih Shadi Aliyan in the secret 'Cemeteries of Numbers' about six months ago.

The human rights center clarified that the burial took place on October 29 last year, following an Israeli judicial decision approving the continued detention of the body. The child Aliyan, 14 years old, was martyred by occupation forces' bullets at the entrance to the town of Al-Eizariya, east of Jerusalem, in February 2024.

Human rights data indicate that the child Wadih Aliyan was extrajudicially executed, as videos showed him being shot while lying on the ground and posing no threat. Instead of handing over his body to his family for a dignified burial, the occupation authorities decided to transfer him to unidentified cemeteries known as the Cemeteries of Numbers.

Occupation authorities currently hold the bodies of 30 martyrs from occupied Jerusalem in their refrigerators or in the Cemeteries of Numbers. Among these martyrs are 10 children under the age of eighteen, with the martyr Wadih Aliyan being the youngest, in a blatant violation of international and humanitarian laws.

'Cemeteries of Numbers' are known as secret burial sites established by the occupation decades ago to bury the remains of Palestinian and Arab martyrs away from their families. Authorities replace the names of the martyrs with metal numbers placed above the graves, making identification or retrieval of their remains a complex and almost impossible process without legal and international pressure.

Prisoner institutions held the occupation authorities fully responsible for the life of prisoner Al-Qawasmi, demanding immediate intervention from the Red Cross and international organizations. They stressed that what prisoners in Gilboa Prison are subjected to represents 'slow death' that necessitates prosecuting occupation leaders in international courts.

A state of extreme tension prevails within Israeli prisons amid the continued policy of systematic abuse and deprivation of medical care. Prisoners appeal to human rights organizations to send international investigation committees to examine the extent of the crimes committed behind closed doors away from media scrutiny.

Jailers daily isolate Akram Al-Qawasmi, and he has received direct threats of physical liquidation inside his cell.