Israeli authorities handed over the body of a cancer-stricken Palestinian prisoner who died recently while in Israeli custody to Jordan.
The body of Sami Aby Dayak, 36, was handed over through the King Hussein border crossing upon his family’s request.
He was born in Silat ad-Dhahr and holds the Palestinian and Jordanian nationalities.
Chairman of the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission Qadri Abu Baker announced that the body of Aby Dayak, who died on November 26 in Israeli custody due to deliberate medical negligence, was returned to Jordan.
Aby Dayak, who was serving more than three life sentences, had been in Israeli custody since September July 17, 2002.
He had been a victim of a medical error while undergoing a surgical operation in the Israeli Soroka hospital. He then underwent surgery to remove parts of his intestines and was diagnosed with cancer. After that, Aby Dayak underwent other surgical procedures that reportedly left him unconscious while on anesthetics for more than a month.
Aby Dayak continued to fight the disease until his death after 17 years of detention, Abu Baker added.
Abu Baker said that he was the fifth Palestinian to die in Israeli custody in 2019, and the 222nd since 1967. This is also the first time Israel hands over the body of a Palestinian after having died in its custody to Jordan.
In his statement, Abu Baker revealed that the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission had asked for his release to allow him to die at his family's side, but Israeli officials denied the request.
Further, the Palestinian Prisoners Club revealed that four corpses belonging to Palestinians remain with Israel.
