Palestinians Commemorate Prisoners' Day

On prisoners' day Palestinians describe the suffering of family members in Israeli jails

April 17, 2007

Gaza - Ma'an - Every year on the 17th of April Palestinians commemorate prisoners' day, renewing the hope that their children and relatives will return home after serving often long periods in the Israeli jails.

This occasion provides a special opportunity to discuss the prisoners' issue and try to alert people's attention to the situation in Israeli jails.

Although Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails share a similar experience, each prisoner has his own story of trauma and hardship to tell.

'Silence of the world'

Father of prisoner Ayman Sha'ath who has served 14 years of his 20 year sentence has been allowed to see him only 3 times. He described how the Israel prohibiting him from visiting his son is contradictory to all international laws related to prisoners' rights. He also expressed astonishment at the silence of the Arab world and the international community towards the suffering of Palestinians.

Brother of prisoner Ali Abu Fool wonders what crime his brother has committed. He was taken at the Erez crossing into the Gaza Strip, where he worked as an assistant to the crossings director. He asked, "Why do the Israelis deliberately transfer my brother from one jail to another, preventing his family from visiting him after he has been imprisoned for a year without trial?"

He said that he addresses the entire world as he declared, "I ask every human being on Earth to imagine that the suffering detainee is his own son, brother or loved one. Will he then feel some sympathy?"

The mother of prisoner Hazim Hassanein is also prevented from visiting her son because she has no identity card and the Israelis rejected her application for a family reunion. She urged the world to pay attention to the suffering of Palestinians.

'Tortured generation'

A mother whose two sons, Rami and Muhammad Anbar are imprisoned in Israeli jails said, "The Israeli policy of apprehension hinders the peace process and contributes to the creation of a tortured Palestinian generation determined to achieve their rights at some period."

The extensive statistics which the humanitarian centers have published estimate that more than 11,000 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel including 350 children, 100 women, 64 who have served more than 20 years and more than a thousand detainees suffering different types of illnesses or injuries that are deprived of medical treatment.

2,000 families cannot visit their imprisoned relatives due to security restrictions.