RAMALLAH, (PIC)
Palestinian groups have called for widespread participation in Palestinian Prisoners’ Day events, urging mass mobilization in support of detainees held in Israeli prisons, amid warnings of escalating abuses and systematic killings.
National and Islamic factions called on Palestinians and supporters worldwide to actively engage in protests, rallies, and solidarity actions, stressing the need for a unified stance and increased pressure to overturn legislation allowing the execution of prisoners.
They emphasized that Palestinian Prisoners’ Day should serve as a renewed national and global platform to advance efforts for detainees’ freedom, reject execution policies, and confront what they described as an ongoing system of genocide against prisoners inside Israeli jails.
Earlier, Hamas Movement had issued a similar call, urging Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and 1948 occupied Palestine, along with international supporters, to participate widely in solidarity events to keep the prisoners’ cause at the forefront of global awareness.
Alarming figures
According to the latest data documented by prisoner advocacy groups, around 9,600 Palestinian detainees are currently held in Israeli prisons as of early April 2026.
This includes 84 women and approximately 350 children, many of whom are held in Megiddo and Ofer prisons.
The number of administrative detainees, held without formal charges or trial, has reached 3,532, representing the largest category among prisoners, alongside those serving sentences or awaiting trial.
Additionally, 1,251 detainees have been classified by Israel as “unlawful combatants,” a designation that also includes detainees from Gaza as well as Arab nationals from Lebanon and Syria. The figure does not account for all detainees held in military camps.
Observers warn that the proposed execution law for Palestinian prisoners marks a dangerous escalation, not only granting a legal framework for killings but also institutionalizing systematic violence against Palestinians.
Critics say the legislation is discriminatory in nature, targeting Palestinians exclusively and reflecting broader policies aimed at codifying repression and expanding punitive measures through legal mechanisms.
Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, observed annually on April 17, has become a key moment to highlight the conditions of detainees and mobilize international attention to their case.
