Palestinians rally in support of detainees in Israel jails

Palestinians staged a rally in Gaza City on Monday to show support for detainees in Israeli prisons, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The rally comes as detainees plan to launch an open-ended hunger strike at the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, due to start later this week, to protest Israeli restrictions.

Protesters waved the Palestinian flag and pictures of the detainees during the rally held outside the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRCR) in Gaza City.

“We need to work to internationalise the issue of detainees and expose the Israeli practices against them,” Awad Al-Sultan, a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), told protesters.

He called on Palestinian authorities to “place the issue of detainees as a top priority”.

“The crimes against detainees must be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to bring Israeli leaders to accountability,” Sultan added.

Last month, Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails started a disobedience campaign against restrictions imposed by prison authorities against them.

According to Palestinian figures, there are 4,780 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, including 160 children and 29 female detainees.

READ: 29 female prisoners suffering harsh conditions in Israeli jails, says rights group