RAMALLAH: Freeing all Palestinian detainees must be a priority of the Palestinian Authority, a top activist reiterated on Monday as the public commemorated Prisoner’s Day.
But the authority and political parties in Palestine are failing to do enough to liberate the thousands of detainees imprisoned by Israel, added Qadura Faris, head of the Prisoners’ Club.
His remarks come amid growing frustration over Israel’s misreatement of hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners including patients, women, children and the elderly, while the occupation authorities’ campaign of arrests continues.
Palestinians commemorate Prisoner’s Day on April 17 every year.
The Palestinian National Council adopted the day as a national day for prisoners in 1974, unifying efforts and activities to campaign for their freedom.
According to Prisoners’ Club data, Israel is detaining 4,900 prisoners, including 31 women, 160 children, more than 1,000 administrative detainees and 19 journalists, as well as hundreds of sick and older prisoners who are being kept in harsh conditions.
Almost 400 of the prisoners have been detained for more than 20 years.
About 2,000 Palestinian prisoners planned an open hunger strike coinciding with the month of Ramadan to protest against their conditions and detention terms, especially after recent activity by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
However, last-minute negotiations dissuaded them from starting the strike after the prison administration promised to respond to some of their humanitarian demands.
Palestinian political analyst Hani Al-Masr said that Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons need more than an annual event on Prisoner’s Day.
They need answers as to why there are Palestinians who have spent more than 40 years in detention, he said.
More than 1,000 are administrative prisoners, and some have been detained since before the signing of the Oslo Accords, which did not provide for their release.
Al-Masr added: “Every day, the number of prisoners increases, as their number has increased by more than 2,300 since the beginning of this year.
“The occupation’s measures against them are harsh, to the point of passing laws related to prisoners, including nationality, execution and rationing treatment.”
Al-Masri said that Palestinian prisoners “fulfilled their duty when they steadfastly endured despite the harshness of the prisons and cells, and adhered to their cause and the Palestinian rights, including the right of the occupied people to resist the occupation comprehensively.
“At the same time, the official leadership, leaders, forces, elites, civil institutions and individuals did not fulfill their duty,” he added.
The Prisoners’ Club announced the launch of a campaign under the slogan “Our Freedom is a Duty” on the eve of Prisoner’s Day.
In the holy month, Palestinian families with imprisoned relatives miss their presence during iftar events.
Laila Zawahra, 70, from Bethlehem, told Arab News that her son Mohammed Zawahra — sentenced to life imprisonment — as well as the rest of the prisoners, live in difficult conditions.
Since his arrest 21 years ago, Zawahra has missed some of the rituals of Ramadan, including enjoying qatayef sweets.
His mother claimed that prison authorities prevent the families of prisoners from providing them with necessities, forcing them to buy them from the prison cafeteria at very high prices.
Zawahra said that she and her family remember Mohammed whenever they sit together for iftar, and recall his favorite foods.
The prisoner issue is considered vital to the Palestinian people, as there are few families that do not have a relative who has been detained or previously arrested.
The number of Palestinians who have been arrested since the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories exceeds 1 million.
The suffering of Palestinian security prisoners has increased since the arrival of the new Israeli government, with Minister Ben-Gvir pledging unprecedented punitive measures against them.
In practice, the right-wing Israeli government has begun to harass the prisoners, the head of the Prisoners’ Club warned.
The persecution comes in the form of enacting new laws or through statements by Ben-Gvir against detainees.
Faris said that both the Israeli government and opposition agree on the need to target prisoners with sanctions, which is a matter of concern.
The Palestinian Prisoners emergency committee said on April 17: “The real revival of Palestinian Prisoner’s Day and fulfilling it is represented in the practical and real endeavor to liberate the prisoners.
“The path of liberating the prisoners is known to every free member of our people and our nation, and achieving our freedom is a duty for all the sons of this living cause.
“We expect actions from you, not words, as words quickly fall apart under the unjust whips of the jailer.”
The challenging cases of prisoners Walid Daqqa, who is facing a severe health condition, and Asif Al-Rifai, who has cancer, are being highlighted by the campaign. It also sheds light on the issue of sick prisoners who face medical negligence.
The Prisoners’ Club also appealed to all parties within the Palestinian national movement — regardless of their orientation — to re-consider working to liberate the prisoners and reposition the issue at the top of national concerns.
The club added: “It is not permissible for the leaders and speakers to be proud of the number of years of detention for this or that fighter among the prisoners, but rather they should be proud of their liberation, and create real hopes for them of freedom and relief.
“This is the responsibility of the factions and forces. They are responsible for it before the people and the prisoners.”
