The
seventeenth of April of each year coincides with the Palestinian Prisoners'
Day, which was approved by the Palestinian National Council in 1974.
New
statistics, issued on April 4, [1]2025, indicate that there
are about 9,792 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, in addition to
thousands of others from the Gaza Strip detained in unknown military camps,
amid a complete media and human rights blackout.
The
number of administrative detainees reached 3,498, without trial or charge, in
flagrant violation of international law. The occupation authorities have issued
more than 10,000 administrative detention orders since 7 October, affecting
women, children and the elderly.
On
the other hand, the number of children prisoners reached 350, including 40
children in administrative detention, while the number of prisoners reached 26,
some of whom suffer from chronic diseases and pregnancies. About 700 prisoners
suffer from various diseases, amid a systematic policy of medical negligence.
Since
the seventh of October 2023, 63 prisoners have been killed, including 40 from
Gaza, in mysterious circumstances that the occupation authorities refuse to
disclose.
These
figures confirm the grave violations suffered by Palestinian prisoners inside
Israeli prisons. In light of this, we at the
Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness) demand the following:
1. Call on the
international community, especially the United Nations and the European Union,
to assume its legal responsibilities and take immediate steps to release all
prisoners, especially women, children, and administrative detainees, in light
of the increasing violations.
2. Calling on the
states parties to the Geneva Conventions, especially the Third Convention, to
open an urgent discussion on the legal status of Palestinian prisoners and to
impose obligations on the occupation in accordance with international law.
3. Work to hold
Israeli officials accountable for their crimes against prisoners, including
torture and medical negligence. Ensure that the issue of Palestinian prisoners
is strongly raised in the UN General Assembly and other international forums.
4.Submit prisoners' files to the International Criminal
Court, considering that what they are subjected to amounts to war crimes and
crimes against humanity.
Beirut on 17/04/2025