Taiz:Gaza Fears are mounting for the life of Palestinian prisoner leader Hasan Salameh, a senior Hamas official, after he was reportedly shot nine times and assaulted inside his cell in an Israeli jail.
According to Palestine Info Center, Salameh's fiancée, Ghufran al-Zamel, stated on Monday that he was physically assaulted and shot directly inside his cell, sustaining nine gunshot wounds across his body. She described his condition as "extremely critical."
Zamel reported that the incident occurred on September 15 following a verbal confrontation between Salameh and far-right Israeli security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who had entered the jail and filmed a video that sparked widespread condemnation. During the altercation, Salameh asserted the Palestinian people's right to defend themselves and challenged the minister over alleged crimes committed against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
She further detailed that Israeli soldiers returned to Salameh's cell around 400 p.m. the same day, severely beating him and firing nine rounds that struck him across various parts of his body. Despite the severity of his injuries, Zamel noted that the Israeli occupation authority delayed documenting his injuries for three days and provided only basic painkillers instead of meaningful medical care.
The Hamas Movement condemned the incident as a "cowardly act of terrorism and criminality," reflecting what they describe as Israel's deliberate attempt to liquidate Salameh. Born in 1971 in Khan Yunis refugee camp in southern Gaza, Salameh was kidnapped in al-Khalil on May 17, 1996, and is serving 48 life sentences.