GAZA, (PIC)
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that Palestinian prisoners are going through “the most dangerous phase in the history of the Captive Movement,” amid physical and psychological torture, real starvation, and sexual assault. He also warned of the consequences of approving a law allowing the execution of prisoners.
In a speech delivered during a solidarity rally on Thursday in Gaza City marking Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, Qassem stressed that Gaza, despite what it is enduring in terms of destruction, starvation, and what he described as genocide, will remain at the heart of the Palestinian national equation, defending just causes, foremost among them the issue of prisoners.
Qassem noted that around one million Palestinians have passed through Israeli prisons over the past decades but said the current phase is the most dangerous, particularly in light of recent policies targeting prisoners, including the approval of an execution law and the escalation of abuses and mistreatment inside prisons.
He called for intensifying public events and mass mobilization across all areas where Palestinians are present, Gaza, the West Bank, within Israel, and the diaspora, in order to exert effective pressure on Israel to halt its violations against prisoners and repeal the execution law.
Qassem added that the solidarity rally in Gaza, which included various factions, clans, and civil society institutions, reflects a sense of national unity despite the ongoing hardship. He emphasized the need to keep the issue of prisoners at the forefront through an effective official Palestinian strategy.
He also urged the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, to reverse decisions related to prisoners’ salaries, warning that continuing these policies would lead to the impoverishment of prisoners’ families after prisoners themselves have been subjected to deprivation in prisons. He called for strengthening their resilience by canceling these measures affecting their families’ financial support.
The Hamas spokesperson said that the resistance in Gaza has made significant efforts for the prisoners’ cause, particularly through prisoner exchange deals, especially during the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle, and called for continued pressure and resistance efforts in other arenas to secure their release.
