The Palestinian girl died at Princess Alia Hospital in Hebron late on Thursday after falling into a coma days earlier.
Abdulrahim Iskafi, Abeer's grandfather, said that her health deteriorated after the Israeli Prison Service barred her from hugging her father Yousef who is serving a life term in the Negev prison.
“Israeli prison guards did not allow Abeer to enter the other side to hug her father and obliged her to see him through the glass barrier,” said Iskafi, adding that the Israeli guards stopped her "under the pretext that she passed the age limit that made her ineligible for such consideration.” He added that Abeer suffered from psychological trauma days after that visit. He added that Abeer refused to eat, fell silent and later became paralyzed. He added that Abeer was transferred to a Jordanian hospital, but to no avail. “she returned to Princess Alia Hospital where she died.”
Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, said the death is “an Israeli crime against the children who are barred from seeing their jailed fathers.”
He called on international human rights organization “to expose the Israeli crimes against the prisoners and their families during the visits to prisons.”
Amjad Al-Najjar, the head of Palestinian Prisoners Club (Nadi Al-Asir) in Hebron, held Israel responsible for the death.
Al-Najjar said that barring children from hugging their fathers during the visits have a negative impact on the psyche of children.
