Israel to Hold Remains of Deceased Palestinian Prisoner

Israeli security forces deploy amid clashes with Palestinian youths at the northern entrance to the city of Ramallah, near the Israeli settlement of Beit El, in the occupied West Bank, on December 20, 2022, in the wake of the death of Nasser Abu Hamid, who died earlier while in Israeli prison. (AFP)

Israel's defense minister said Wednesday that the remains of a Palestinian prisoner who died a day earlier from lung cancer would not be released for burial.

Benny Gantz’s office said the body of Nasser Abu Hamid, one of the founders of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, would be held as a bargaining chip for the return of captive Israelis and the remains of soldiers held by the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.