Today marks the fifth anniversary of the martyrdom of Jerusalemite prisoner Aziz Owaisat, as a result of the deterioration of his health due to his exposure to torture and medical neglect in the occupation prisons.

Since his martyrdom on May 20, 2018, the occupation continues to detain Owaisat’s body, refusing to hand it over to his family.

The prisoner, Owaisat, was 53 years old when he was martyred. He was from the town of Jabal al-Mukaber, east of occupied Jerusalem. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and was arrested on 3/8/2014. 

The occupation authorities accused Owaisat of belonging to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and planning to blow up the gas line of the “Armon Hanatziv” settlement, which is built on the lands of Jabal Mukaber.

Awaisat poured hot water on one of the occupation soldiers inside the prison a few days before his martyrdom, after which he was subjected to a severe and fatal beating.

Before his martyrdom, his family noticed bruises and marks of beating on his neck, which he had been exposed to while in solitary confinement in “Eshel” prison in the occupied Negev.

Prisoner Owaisat was suffering from failure in most of his body's organs, and was in the intensive care room at Assaf Harofeh Hospital, connected to artificial respirators.

The occupation continues to detain the bodies of 13 Palestinian prisoners, the last of whom was Sheikh Khader Adnan, who went on a hunger strike in rejection of his administrative detention.