Former Palestinian Prisoner Dies of Cancer

A Palestinian imprisoned by Israel on suspicion of militant activity died of cancer Tuesday, three weeks after being released, with Palestinian officials blaming Israel for his death.

But Israel rejected the accusation, saying the man had received proper care from the beginning.

Hassan al-Turabi, a 23-year-old leukemia sufferer, was arrested in January near the West Bank city of Nablus. He was transferred to hospital on October 15 because of a deterioration in his health, Palestinian security officials told AFP.

The army ended his detention the following day, leaving him in Afula hospital in northern Israel.

Turabi died "because of the policy of medical negligence on the part of the Israeli prison authorities," the Palestine Liberation Organization said.

For its part, the Palestinian Prisoners Club watchdog said Israel had released Turabi "in order to shirk its responsibilities" for his medical needs, accusing it of ignoring them while he was in prison.

But Israel's Prison Service spokesman Sivan Weizman told AFP: "He was already ill before he was arrested, having suffered from leukemia since 2004.

"In prison he received all the necessary medical treatment for his condition, including medicine and exams. When his condition deteriorated he was taken to Afula and released from custody the next day. He was treated there until his death."