Iyad Haribat, a 41-year-old former prisoner from Dura in Hebron, has become a symbol of the deliberate medical neglect and systemic abuse faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Released as part of the "Flood of the Free" deal, Haribat’s two-decade ordeal highlights the devastating impact of Israel’s policies on Palestinian prisoners, particularly those with severe health conditions.

Upon his release, Haribat’s health was in critical condition. Doctors in Egypt, where he was deported, revealed that his body is too weak for immediate surgery. An opening in his abdomen, used for defecation, cannot be closed until he undergoes months of intensive care, including antibiotics, blood-thinning medications, and proper nutrition. Haribat’s suffering began in 2002 when he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. By 2014, his health had severely deteriorated, with symptoms including tremors, memory loss, and an inability to stand. Despite repeated appeals for his release, Israeli authorities ignored international calls for humane treatment.

Conditions in Israeli prisons worsened Haribat’s plight. His brother Yousef recounted how prisoners were starved, often receiving only a cup of rice and tomato sauce per day. During Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, communication with detainees was cut off, leaving families in agonizing uncertainty. Yousef, who had visited Haribat since childhood, was barred from attending his release due to an Israeli-imposed security ban.

Haribat’s freedom, while a moment of joy, remains bittersweet for his family. Yousef credits Gaza’s resilience for his brother’s release but laments the ongoing suffering there. "Our joy is incomplete because of what happened in Gaza," he said. Haribat’s story is a stark reminder of Israel’s use of medical neglect as a tool of oppression and the urgent need for accountability and reform in its prison system.