PLC calls for internationalizing issue of Palestinian prisoners

PLC calls for internationalizing issue of Palestinian prisoners

GAZA, — The Palestinian legislative council (PLC) on Wednesday called for internationalizing the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails during international meetings and events in conjunction with their hunger strike.

In a press release, the PLC demanded the Arab League and the organization of the Islamic conference to take active steps in this regard and raise the issue of prisoners at UN institutions.

The council pointed out that allowing the father of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to stand on the UN podium must incite Arabs and Muslims to establish a mechanism for defending the rights of thousands of Palestinian prisoners locked up in racist Israeli jails.

The council appealed to regional and international human rights organizations and those concerned with democracy to be in harmony with the slogans and the principles they claim to be adherent to and to pay attention to the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

It noted that it started to make special preparations to organize a week of solidarity with the prisoners next week in cooperation with the higher national committee for the defense of prisoners.

For his part, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum stated Wednesday that the Palestinian prisoners’ decision to go on open hunger strike confirms that they are exposed to serious Israeli violations.

In a press statement to the Palestinian information center (PIC), spokesman Barhoum said that Hamas Movement will strongly stand by the prisoners and will communicate with the international community to expose the Israeli violations committed against them.

He added that the reason behind the Israeli escalation against prisoners is the absence of the Arab support for their issue in addition to the absence of international justice, noting that many countries moved to talk about one Israeli soldier in captivity and ignored thousands of Palestinians in Israeli jails.

For its part, the higher national committee for the defense of prisoners and different Palestinian factions organized at noon Wednesday a sit-in in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners who started their open hunger strike today in protest at the harsh incarceration conditions they are living in.

The national committee also said that the representatives of factions and families of prisoners will participate today in a mass hunger strike in solidarity with the Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails.