A member of Fatah who was serving a 19-year prison sentence in an Israeli prison and suffered from a chronic illness passed away at Soroka-University Medical Center on Thursday morning, according to the Israel Prison Service (IPS).

The prisoner was transferred to the hospital from the Shikma Prison after a deterioration in his condition on Tuesday.

The prisoner, originally from Gaza, had been sentenced to 19 years in prison for attempted murder in 2008. This was his third time in prison.

The prisoner was identified by Palestinian reports as Sami al-Amour. Earlier reports indicated that al-Amour suffered from a heart condition. Palestinian media accused the IPS of "deliberate medical negligence."

Palestinian students walk past a mural depicting hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Maher Al-Akhras, Gaza Strip, October 19, 2020. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM/FILE PHOTO)
Palestinian students walk past a mural depicting hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Maher Al-Akhras, Gaza Strip, October 19, 2020. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM/FILE PHOTO)
The death of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli hospitals have led to tensions in the past. In 2013, Hamas prisoner Maissara Abu Hamdiye died in the Soroka-University Medical Center at age 63 from esophageal cancer. His death sparked unrest in the West Bank, as leading PA figures similarly blamed Israel for medical negligence.

The death of Palestinian prisoner Arafat Jaradat, 30, from a heart attack in the Megiddo Prison in February of that year also sparked violent protests across the West Bank.