'A victory for Israel': Terrorist Walid Daqqah dies of cancer in prison

The terrorist Walid Daqqah, who kidnapped and murdered the soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984, passed away on Sunday after suffering from cancer for the past year. Daqqah died at the age of 64, less than a year before he was scheduled to be released in March 2025. 

About a year ago, Daqqah applied for early release through his attorney, Avigdor Feldman, due to his deteriorating health, but his request was denied. His brother, Asad, told Walla that the family had not received an official notification. The Israel Police are responsible for delivering such notifications to prisoners' families.

Ortal Tamam, the niece of Moshe Tamam, told Walla, "My uncle's murderer chose to [Tamam's] his life after inflicting severe torture, and after the murder, he continued to torment my family, engage in terrorism, and torment the entire nation of Israel. We fought hard to prevent his early release, and the fruits of our struggle have ripened.

My uncle's murderer died while still in prison, sick and poor. Just like the subhuman he is. This is a victory for my family and for all of Israel.”

Moshe Tamam went home on leave from the military on August 6, 1984. He met his girlfriend and accompanied her to her home in Tiberias. That evening, he returned by bus to Tel Aviv, and after departing the bus at the Beit Lid station, he vanished. 

Four days later, his body was found near the entrance to Mevo Dotan in the West Bank with signs of head trauma and a gunshot wound to his chest.

Daqqah, aged 54, denied his involvement in the planning and execution of the murder. According to his conviction, Daqqah ordered Tamam’s kidnapping for ransoming purposes. He ordered his murder in case the transfer process became complicated. 

Daqqah's sentence extended

Daqqah was subsequently imprisoned in 1986 on a life sentence without parole. In 2012, his sentence was reduced to 37 years, but since then, he was also convicted of smuggling phones into prison, and his sentence was extended.

Even during his time in Israeli prison, the veteran security prisoner managed to provoke some public controversies. In 2015, Walla revealed that a play called "The Parallel Time," inspired by Daqqah's book about the lives of security prisoners in prison, was performed at Haifa's Arabic-speaking Al-Midan Theater. 

The show drew numerous reactions from various segments of Israeli society, including ministers and Knesset members. The family of Moshe Tamam then led a campaign to cancel the play.

Daqqah also wrote a children's book in prison, which caused a similar public uproar. He fathered a girl while in prison, contrary to the ruling of the Supreme Court. All the while, he engaged in a long struggle for early release amid firm opposition from Tamam’s family.