CAIRO, (PIC)
Riyad Al-Omour, a 56-year-old former Palestinian prisoner from the town of Tuqu’ in Bethlehem, who had been deported to Egypt, has died following a long struggle with illness and medical neglect during his imprisonment in Israeli prisons.
Family sources reported on Friday that Al-Omour’s health had recently deteriorated severely. He was among the most prominent prisoners subjected to systematic medical abuse over 23 years in Israeli detention, until he was released in the “Al-Ahrar Flood” prisoner exchange deal in October 2025.
Al-Omour suffered from serious heart conditions and, during his 23 years in prison, waited more than a decade for a pacemaker replacement. However, medical negligence and the authorities’ refusal to provide proper treatment worsened his condition.
Following the war in Gaza, Al-Omour, like many other prisoners, was subjected to intensified abuse, including unprecedented mistreatment and torture, and was released in extremely poor health.
Prior to his arrest in 2002, he had been pursued by Israeli forces and underwent a prolonged and harsh interrogation during which he was severely tortured, resulting in hearing loss in one ear.
Al-Omour was considered a prominent leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in Bethlehem and had been sentenced to 11 life terms for his involvement in resistance activities. He also lost his father while in prison.
