Palestinian official calls for end to political detention

The Second Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Parliament, Hassan Khreesheh, called on Sunday for the Palestinian Authority to end political detention and unite against the Israeli occupation, Al-Resalah has reported.

“We are repeating previous calls for halting political detention and chasing each other,” Khreesheh told the newspaper. “This is shameful and harms our people and our cause.”

He stressed the importance of the unity of all the Palestinians to be in a position to stand up to the Israeli occupation and defend Palestinian rights and holy sites. “No one seeks to carry out a coup or find an alternative to the PA, but everyone wants a respected authority that represents its will and runs free democratic elections,” he added.

The PA continues to detain its political opponents, including university students, activists and former prisoners. Such campaigns have spiked sharply as university students celebrate the 35th anniversary of the founding of Hamas.

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