More than 9,000 Palestinian prisoners are languishing in occupation prisons (Al Jazeera)

Nablus -

In a photo of her two captive sons, “Ahmed and Moein,” which she was holding to her chest, Hiyam Abu Lawi came to the Martyrs’ Forum in the center of the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank today, Tuesday, to participate in the “Day of Rage” in support of the prisoners and in rejection of the genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Palestinians went out - in various cities of the West Bank - in demonstrations denouncing the occupation and its crimes, in response to the decision of the prisoners’ institutions, the National and Islamic Action factions, and the federations and unions, which called for Tuesday to be considered a national “day of rage” in rejection of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the aggression against the prisoners in the occupation’s prisons, and against the Palestinians everywhere. place.

Abu Lawi led the ranks of the demonstrators and shouted loudly in support of the prisoners and in support of the legendary steadfastness of the people of Gaza in the face of the occupation’s plans.

Hiyam has not visited her two captive sons since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza (Al Jazeera)

Rescue the prisoners

A week ago, Hiyam prepared to participate in this event. She says that her stance with her children is no less than her solidarity with Gaza, and she adds to Al Jazeera Net, "My children were arrested and Gaza was exterminated, because she fought for the freedom of the prisoners, and we all live with them and one injured person."

The occupation had arrested her son, Ahmed (25 years old), about a year ago, while Moin (20 years old) was arrested 3 months ago. She has not heard any news about either of them, and has not visited them since the war, and every day her concern for them increases, especially Moin, who was “severely beaten.” The moment he was arrested, and a harsh interrogation for 45 days.”

In turn, Palestinian Hisham Hanaysha came from the town of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus, enduring the hassle of traveling, after crossing the worst military checkpoints set up at the entrance to his village, known as the “Beit Furik” checkpoint, to participate in the Day of Rage.

Hanaysha (59 years old), who was carrying a sign reading “Save the Prisoners” and a picture of the prisoner Marwan Barghouti, said, “We are all the families of the prisoners, and they are the sons of my people and my country, and Gaza and the West Bank are one and indivisible, and everyone suffers the same pain.”

To the tune of the lyrics of the song “Wounded Palestine is calling, where are the Arabs to see my children? We knocked on the doors of martyrdom, oh freedom that has come upon us,” the march took the streets of Nablus with the participation of hundreds of citizens, led by the families of the prisoners and their mothers, whose voices shouted out in cheering for their sons.

In addition to pictures of martyrs and prisoners and pictures expressing solidarity with Gaza, slogans denouncing the crimes of the occupation were chanted, and paper and cardboard banners were drawn calling for an end to the genocide and occupation massacres in Gaza, while demonstrators raised the Palestinian flag and the flag of the United Nations, in a direct message to the world and its international institutions for serious action to “reinforce Israel.” And stop the series of crimes.”

Civil society and official institutions also suspended their work to coincide with the Day of Rage activities, and their employees participated in the marches.

Calls for unity

The participants and organizers stressed that the Palestinian people are steadfast in a legendary way, paying a huge price to preserve the dignity of the Arab and Islamic nation, and that they will not give up their cause and revolution unless they gain their freedom.

The demonstrators sent a message to the Palestinians, especially the factions that are soon in dialogue in Russia, and called on them to be united, and to be at the heart of one man, “especially since the unity of the squares and other slogans only proved the unity of the Palestinian square.”

They called for the next round in Russia to be the last to close all the black pages in the history of the Palestinian people and unite under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization. They stressed that the people will not accept another “additional round,” especially since the occupation is practicing genocide in front of the world, paving the way for displacement, and assassinating everyone. The features of life in Gaza, and his crimes are reproduced in the West Bank and its camps daily.

Director General of the Prisoners' Affairs Authority, Amin Shoman, explained that the Day of Rage comes in light of "great concern" for the lives of male and female prisoners and the serious occupation violations inside its prisons, which led to the martyrdom of 12 prisoners since the war on Gaza, the last two of them within a week from now.

The same spokesman adds that the demonstration coincides with the United Nations report on the presence of cases of rape of Palestinian female prisoners inside the occupation prisons, and rejects the policy of preying on prisoners under the orders of extremist Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, which is outside all international and humanitarian norms and laws, in addition to the “war of extermination” in Gaza that has been going on for 142 days.

According to Shoman, these mass marches herald a popular movement that will unfold within days, especially next Friday, when it is planned to launch a series of marches after prayers that will reach various sites of friction and points of contact with the occupation.

This is followed by sit-ins and protests in front of the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross and human rights institutions in the West Bank, and in front of many embassies of countries in the Palestinian territories, as part of Palestinian anger at all this human rights system and the American and European bias towards Israel and giving it the green light to kill the Palestinians.

Citizen Hisham Hanaysha - center - came from his village of Beit Dajan to show solidarity with the prisoners and Gaza (Al Jazeera)

Important messages

There are more than 9,000 Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons, and since October 7, Israel has carried out more than 7,270 arrests in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the occupied interior, while there are no statistics on Gaza prisoners.

Israel has killed about 248 Palestinian prisoners since its occupation of the West Bank in 1967, and is still holding the bodies of more than 20 of them.

The events coordinator in the city of Ramallah, Issam Bakr, says that the advantage of the “Day of Rage” is that it carries three important messages. It comes simultaneously and at the same time in all Palestinian governorates, to deliver a message to the occupation that the prisoners are not alone in the face of its aggressive policies.

Bakr also adds to Al Jazeera Net that it coincides with similar events in the diaspora and exile countries in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, and he is addressing international bodies to participate in the Day of Rage, and to consider it a day for human rights and to raise one’s voice in opposition to harming prisoners.

He stressed that this day is a state of unity and mobilization of the popular worker, and constitutes a fulcrum for the launch of other activities, the most important of which is addressing international institutions by activating the role of Palestinian communities and embassies to convey the suffering of prisoners and the war of annihilation practiced by Israel in Gaza.

For his part, Muzaffar Dhouqan, coordinator of the Nablus Day of Rage event, confirmed that it aims to keep the issue of prisoners present in the conscience of the Palestinians, and that it is a victory for the sacrifices of the prisoners, and a message to the occupation that the Palestinian people are integrated through struggle, suffering, unity of purpose and destiny, and the struggle for the prisoners and Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera