JERUSALEM — A 78-year-old Palestinian American man died this month from a stress-induced coronary heart assault introduced on by accidents sustained whereas he was detained by Israeli troopers, in line with an post-mortem report, obtained by The New York Instances on Wednesday.
The demise has introduced renewed scrutiny on Israel from its closest allies in Washington, who’ve requested for a “clarification” and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the demise of the person, Omar Abdelmajed Assad.
Mr. Assad had pre-existing coronary heart illnesses and was detained by dozens of Israeli troopers for about an hour on Jan. 12 in his village of Jiljilya within the occupied West Financial institution. He was blindfolded together with his arms certain behind his again and mendacity on the bottom, in line with witnesses, circumstances that his physician stated contributed to his demise. One witness and his physician stated he died whereas in Israeli custody. He was discovered face down and unresponsive together with his blindfold nonetheless on.
Mr. Assad’s life and demise mirrored the day by day perils confronted by Palestinians dwelling underneath Israeli occupation within the West Financial institution. The Israeli army routinely conducts night time raids on Palestinian villages aimed toward thwarting assaults, and residents may be stopped for checks on the street or arrested at residence.
The post-mortem was carried out by the coroner for the Palestinian Authority, which administers elements of the West Financial institution. Mr. Assad had bruises on his head because of traumatic mind accidents, it discovered, with out saying what could have brought on these accidents. And there was inner bleeding in his eyelids from being blindfolded tightly in addition to different bruises on his arms and purple welts on his wrists from zip ties.
The Palestinian Authority and the Israeli army are nonetheless investigating the demise. Mr. Assad was a U.S. citizen with youngsters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren dwelling within the U.S., and his household and a number of other members of Congress have demanded an American investigation. However america has not stated whether or not it is going to examine.
A preliminary conclusion from the Palestinian investigation decided that he had been “severely crushed,” in line with one Palestinian official with data of the investigation.
“The investigation indicated that he had been subjected to harsh therapy and violence,” in line with an excerpt from the preliminary findings of the investigation obtained by The Instances. “His physique had many accidents documented and detailed within the post-mortem.”
Initially, the Israeli army stated Mr. Assad had been alive when he was launched. However subsequently, the Israeli authorities declined to reply questions on what occurred throughout his detention, what his situation was when the troopers left and whether or not he was given any medical therapy, saying that was a part of the investigation.
The Israeli rights group B’Tselem stated Israel not often prosecutes troopers chargeable for harming Palestinians.
The troopers stopped Mr. Assad in what the Israeli army described as a “routine examine” at about 3 a.m. as he was driving residence after an evening enjoying playing cards and consuming espresso with cousins. An Israeli army spokesman has stated that he was detained after he resisted the examine and refused to cooperate with questioning.
The physician who tried to resuscitate Mr. Assad, Islam Abu Zaher, stated his face was blue from lack of oxygen, including he had more than likely been disadvantaged of oxygen for 15 to twenty minutes — which the physician advised may have brought on his coronary heart and lungs to fail.
One witness stated that when the troopers found his situation, they deserted him as a substitute of offering medical consideration. Dr. Abu Zaher questioned why Mr. Assad appeared to have been thrown on the bottom face down and why he was not given any first help by the Israeli forces earlier than they left.
Mmdouh Abdulrahman, one of many different 4 males detained by Israeli forces that night time, stated a soldier got here to examine on Mr. Assad. The troopers whispered amongst themselves, then one in every of them reduce one of many zip ties that had been on Mr. Assad’s wrists and so they left shortly, Mr. Abdulrahman stated.
As quickly because the troopers left the courtyard, Mr. Abdulrahman stated he untied Mr. Assad’s blindfold and located no pulse on his good friend.
Mr. Assad had open-heart surgical procedure and a number of other stents implanted about 4 years in the past, in line with Dr. Abu Zaher, who stated he had been treating Mr. Assad for obstructive pulmonary illness in latest months. The lung illness may have made it troublesome for him to breathe mendacity face down, Dr. Abu Zaher stated.
Mr. Assad and his spouse, Nazmieh Assad, moved to the U.S. within the Nineteen Seventies and opened a number of grocery tales. They returned to Jiljilya greater than a decade in the past, however Israel had revoked their Palestinian ID playing cards whereas they had been overseas.
Earlier than he was detained, Mr. Assad was optimistic that he would quickly be capable to journey freely between his birthplace within the West Financial institution and his adopted residence in america. He was wanting to return to the U.S. to see his seven youngsters, 17 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, however feared that Israel wouldn’t enable them to return residence with out Palestinian ID playing cards. That they had spent the previous a number of years making an attempt to have them reinstated.
Within the weeks earlier than his demise, Mr. Assad anticipated his and his spouse’s names would quickly be on an inventory of permitted reinstatement functions.
On Monday, practically two weeks after Mr. Assad died, a brand new checklist of names was printed. Their names had been on it.
Rawan Sheikh Ahmad contributed reporting from Haifa, Israel.
