Ofer Prison
Ofer PrisonFlash 90

The Palestinian Authority’s “association of prisoners and released prisoners” is claiming, based on an autopsy, that jailed Hamas prisoner Nassar Majed Taqatqa died as a result of "deliberate medical neglect" that caused severe pneumonia.

Taqatqa, 31, was found dead in the mental health facility of the Nitzan prison in Ramla in central Israel Tuesday morning.

A special mobile intensive care unit was called to the prison to treat Taqatqa. Despite efforts to resuscitate him, however, the terrorist was declared dead at the scene.

The “association of prisoners and released prisoners” said in statement quoted by the PA’s Wafa news agency that the autopsy on Taqatqa lasted five hours, during which tissue samples were taken from the drugs he was administered after his arrest.

The organization said that “the occupation government is fully responsible for this crime, in light of the fact that this type of infection was caused by external factors, and it was required to transfer him immediately to one of the civilian hospitals for treatment, but he was left alone in solitary confinement to fight the disease and there were signs of handcuffs on his hands and feet."

Taqatqa had been examined at the HaEmek Hospital in Afula several days before his death and was released.

The Israel Prison Service said the circumstances of the terrorist’s death are being examined.