By Mohammed Bello Doka
In a poignant turn of events, Wafaa Samir Al-Bass, a once-freed prisoner, met a tragic fate as her home became the target of an IOF airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Wafaa, a former member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and an active participant during the Al-Aqsa Intifada, traversed a tumultuous path marked by a thwarted martyrdom operation and subsequent years of imprisonment.
Wafaa's journey towards her untimely demise commenced on June 20th, 2005, when her attempt at the "Erez" crossing ended in failure due to a defect in her explosive belt. Despite suffering third-degree burns, she was apprehended by the Israeli army and subsequently handed a 12-year prison sentence. Unyielding in her convictions, Wafaa defiantly declared, "I will not apologize for harming 'Israel' and threatening its security."
During her seven-year incarceration, Wafaa endured egregious medical negligence, torture, threats, and an agonizing two-year period in solitary confinement at Ramle prison. Undeterred, she protested these dire conditions through a hunger strike, drawing support from fellow female prisoners and compelling the Israeli prison authorities to terminate it. Despite tempting offers for medical treatment in exchange for espionage, Wafaa adamantly refused to compromise her principles.
Her liberation materialized in 2010 through the Loyalty to the Free prisoner exchange deal, alongside 1,027 fellow detainees. Following her release, Wafaa embarked on a journey of rebuilding, marrying and becoming a mother to two children. Remarkably, she ascended to the rank of colonel in the Palestinian Authority's National Security Forces, displaying resilience despite the absence of PA presence in Gaza. However, her appeals for medical treatment within the Palestinian Authority remained unanswered.
Wafaa Samir Al-Bass's narrative, from imprisonment to the tragic events leading to her demise, encapsulates a story of unwavering determination, sacrifice, and the intricate realities faced by individuals entangled in the tumultuous history of the Gaza Strip which has been under siege by Israel for the past two decades and under colonial regime for over seven decades.