19-Year-Old Palestinian Prisoner ,Who Was Used As Human Shield By Israel Army, Dies

Ramallah: A wounded Palestinian prisoner has died in an Israeli hospital, two Palestinian organisations said. Zaher Raddad, a 19-year-old from the town of Saida in Tulkarm, northern West Bank, passed away in the Israeli Meir Hospital, according to a statement from the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority, a part of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, as well as the Palestinian Prisoners Club.
As per the statement released on Sunday. Raddad was arrested on July 23 after being shot by the Israeli army, who then “used him as a human shield during the military operation by placing him at the front of one of their military vehicles in the city.”
According to the statement, Raddad’s death brings the total number of prisoners who have died in Israeli prisons since October 7, 2023, to 23. There has been no Israeli statement on the death of Raddad, Xinhua news agency reported.
Recently, the violence between Hamas and Israel has surged, causing numerous deaths and widespread destruction. Rocket attacks, airstrikes, and ground assaults have worsened the situation, plunging the region into a deep humanitarian crisis. In response to the violence, the world has condemned the ongoing conflict and urged an immediate ceasefire to save lives. Diplomatic efforts are in motion, aiming for a peaceful resolution and to tackle the core issues faced by both sides.
Since October 2023, Israel has been conducting a large-scale military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians, following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israeli towns near the Strip, which claimed the lives of around 1,200 people.
As per the news agency IANS report, the statement further detailed that Raddad had been held at Meir Hospital under critical and unstable health conditions, reliant on artificial respiration after undergoing several surgeries. Despite his grave condition, the Israeli authorities continued his detention until his death on Sunday.
The two Palestinian organizations condemned the actions of the Israeli occupation as a compounded crime, beginning with Raddad’s arrest and shooting, continuing through his use as a human shield, and extending to his ongoing detention despite his critical health condition.
They characterized this incident as part of the unprecedented scale of crimes committed by the Israeli occupation since the start of its genocidal campaign against the people of Gaza and its continued aggression against Palestinians throughout all occupied territories.
(With IANS Inputs)