“Could there be any more pain? My pain is visual”: Israa Al Jaabis urges the world for help

Palestine

Published: 2018-01-12 16:13

Last Updated: 2024-04-18 14:24


Editor: Randa Darwish

Artists drawing Israa to show the world her true story. (Twitter)
Artists drawing Israa to show the world her true story. (Twitter)

“Could there be any more pain? My pain is visual.. It is clear.”
This is how Israa Al Jaabis responded when she was asked if she is in pain, during her appeal hearing in the Israeli court.

Israa Al Jaabis, 32-year-old mother, was arrested by the Israeli forces in 2015 after a car accident that caused her serious burns and deforms, without getting medical care in the Israeli prison.

During the hearing in the Supreme Court of West Jerusalem on Thursday, Israa showed in front of the judge and the cameras, where she went to express the pain she feels.

A video went viral on social media showing journalists asking Israa to express what she feels and her pain, when she raised her hands to say: “I don’t have hands”, pointing to her fingers that were cut because of the burns and deformations she suffered.

“Israa, say everything you want, we are not allowed to ask you questions,” the journalist told her as she was surrounded by police officers.

“I have been here [prison] for two years, it took too long. I don’t receive any medical treatment. There is no aid. I am asking for help only. There is no justification for me being in jail,” Israa said.

After her appeal ended, the court informed her lawyer that they will send the final decision by fax when it is decided.

Israa was moving to her new house in Jerusalem, in order to retain her Jerusalem residence, when the fire broke out in her car on a checkpoint, due to a faulty domestic gas cylinder. Israa tried to ask Israeli police for help but they ignored her.

Israa was sentenced to 11 years in jail, amid accusations of trying to attack the Israeli checkpoint.

However, Israa is still suffering from burns covering most of her body. She can't use her hands to eat or to do the least of any work. She lives on painkillers, and needs an urgent medical treatment to survive.

“Israa needs to undergo surgeries in her face, ears, hands and eyes which have been eaten by flames,” her family told Al Quds News.

“She needs to go under 8 surgeries at least, so that she could survive. 95% of her body is deformed and her fingers were amputated” her sister says.

Earlier two weeks ago, social media activists launched a campaign, under the hashtag #HelpIsraa, to let the world know Israa Al Jaabis story.


Read More: #HelpIsraa: A Campaign to tell Israa Al Jaabis' story in Israeli prisons


Social media users went to remind the world of all Palestinian female detainees who are in urgent medical need in prisons, including:

  1. Lama Bakri, 17-years-old, was detained after being injured with three bullets in her feets.
  2. Abla Al Adam, 46-years-old, a mother for 9 children. She was arrested when she was suffering from injuries in her face, shoulder and head, before losing sight in her right eye.
  3. Shorouq Dwayyat, 20-years-old, was arrested after being shot in her shoulder which caused cut in a major blood-vessel.
  4. Jehan Hashimeh, 38-years-old, was arrested after being shot in her left leg.
  5. Amal Taqatqa, 24-years-old, was arrested after being injured by live bullets in her thigh, chest and waist, before an Israeli officer slapped her on her chest by a riffle causing fractures in her rib cage.
  6. Marah Bakeer, 18-years-old, was arrested after she was shot by 13 bullets in her left arm.
  7. Nourhan Awwad, 18-years-old, was arrested after being shot by four bullets in her left thigh and stomach.
  8. Helwah Hamamreh, 26-years-old, a mother for a child. She was arrested while suffering from serious injuries, led to the removal of part of the liver, the pancreas, spleen and intestines.

Human rights reports showed a widespread degrading treatment by the Israeli forces against Palestinian prisoners, in addition to deteriorating humanitarian conditions, humiliation, neglection and many other violations, according to Addameer, the Palestinian non-governmental Human Rights Association.