Sa’diyya Farajallah
Sa’diyya Farajallah died from complications related to her chronic medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and a heart condition, which were aggravated by lack of proper medical care and medication during her detention.
Sa’diyya Farajallah’s death was primarily due to the severe neglect of her chronic health issues while imprisoned. Before her arrest, she was already suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, requiring ongoing medication and medical supervision. However, after her detention, Israeli authorities repeatedly denied her access to essential medical treatment and medication, causing her condition to worsen drastically.
She endured prolonged solitary confinement for two months despite her frailty, which further deteriorated her physical and mental health. At a court hearing shortly before her death, she was wheelchair-bound and unable to speak, indicating her grave condition.
The lack of adequate healthcare and the failure to respond to her deteriorating state directly contributed to her death in custody. Her family and human rights organizations condemned the Israeli prison authorities for what they called a deliberate medical neglect, demanding accountability and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Biography
Sa’diyya Farajallah was a 68-year-old Palestinian woman from Ethna town, west of Hebron in the southern West Bank. She was the oldest female Palestinian detainee held in Israeli prisons when she died on July 2, 2022, at the ad-Damoun Israeli prison after less than seven months in detention. Sa’diyya was a mother of eight and suffered from multiple chronic illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and a heart condition. She was arrested near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron on December 18, 2021, following an attack by Israeli colonizers during which she was injured. Despite her poor health, she was denied proper medical care throughout her imprisonment, which her family and human rights groups say contributed directly to her death.
Sa’diyya Farajallah was a resilient 68-year-old Palestinian woman from the town of Ethna, located west of Hebron in the southern West Bank. A mother of eight children, Sa’diyya had long struggled to provide for her family amid challenging circumstances. Her life was tragically cut short after being detained by Israeli forces on December 18, 2021, near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. She was injured during an attack by illegal Israeli colonizers prior to her arrest.
Despite her advanced age and suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, Sa’diyya was held at the ad-Damoun prison, where she was repeatedly denied access to necessary medical care and her medications. Her health deteriorated significantly while in custody, exacerbated by harsh conditions including two months in solitary confinement. Her family was barred from visiting her during her imprisonment, and Palestinian human rights advocates reported that the Israeli authorities refused to share medical records or provide adequate treatment.
Sa’diyya's condition was so fragile that she attended a court hearing in a wheelchair and was unable to speak. After nearly seven months in prison, she died on July 2, 2022. Her death sparked outrage among Palestinians and human rights groups, who hold Israeli authorities responsible for neglecting her medical needs. The Palestinian Prisoners Society and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights called for an immediate investigation into her death. Sa’diyya's passing adds to the long list of Palestinian detainees who have died under Israeli custody since 1967.
Additional Information
Sources & References
Sa’diyya Farajallah, 68, died in an Israeli prison less than seven months after Israeli soldiers abducted her. Sa’diyya was the oldest female detainee imprisoned by Israel. According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Sa’diyya, from Ethna town west of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, died at the ad-Damoun Israeli prison. The PPS stated that Farajallah, a married mother of eight, was the oldest Palestinian female detainee in Israeli prisons and that she was abducted by the Israeli soldiers on December 18, 2021, near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, after she was injured when many illegal Israeli colonizers attacked her.1 israelpalestinetimeline.org Open source