Palestinian Prisoners’ Movement Faces Deadliest Phase Amid Ongoing Israeli Genocide
"Prisoners' Club" Marks 77th Nakba Anniversary, Decries Ongoing Mass Atrocities in Gaza and Violations Against Prisoners.
Watan-The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club stated on Thursday that the current phase is “the deadliest in the history of the prisoners’ movement,” amid the continuing Israeli genocide in Gaza and the crimes committed against prisoners.
This statement was issued in a report by the Palestinian club (a non-governmental organization) marking the 77th anniversary of the Nakba.
The term “Nakba” refers to the day when the establishment of the Israeli state was declared on May 15, 1948, on most of Palestinian land. On that day, approximately 15,000 Palestinians were martyred, over 950,000 were displaced, and 531 villages were destroyed.
Palestinian Prisoners’ Movement Faces Deadliest Phase Amid Systematic Israeli Crimes
The statement added that “the current phase is the harshest and most difficult for prisoners, both male and female, in the history of the prisoners’ movement, given the scale of systematic crimes practiced by the prison system, which has led to the martyrdom of 66 prisoners, who were officially announced, among the 303 martyrs of the prisoners’ movement since 1967.”
It continued, “This phase is the most violent in the history of the prisoners’ movement, noting that dozens of Gaza detainees are still subjected to enforced disappearance.”
The term “Palestinian prisoners’ movement” refers to the organizational structures within Israeli prisons that manage prisoners’ lives and maintain collective relations with the prison administration rather than isolating prisoners.
The statement further noted, “What the prisoners are facing today is an extension of genocide and the continuation of the historical crimes committed against them by the occupation. The difference today is the intensity and unprecedented level of these crimes.”
It pointed out that “over one million Palestinians have been arrested since the beginning of the occupation,” with this figure being an estimate based on available data from the club.
17,000 West Bank Arrests Amid Gaza Genocide, Escalating Israeli Crackdown
The statement also revealed that about 17,000 Palestinians from the West Bank have been arrested since the start of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, not including the thousands of arrests in Gaza itself.
The statement clarified, “The policy of arresting Palestinians, along with the accompanying crimes and violations, has been one of the occupation’s main ongoing policies, which have escalated drastically since the beginning of the genocide, according to available documentation.”
It also mentioned that the Israeli authorities continue to hold over 10,100 Palestinians, including 37 female prisoners, more than 400 children, and 3,577 administrative detainees (without charges).
In parallel with the genocide in Gaza, the Israeli army and settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, resulting in the martyrdom of over 966 Palestinians, approximately 7,000 injuries, and the arrest of more than 17,000, according to Palestinian statistics.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with full U.S. support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, which has left approximately 173,000 Palestinians dead or injured, the majority of whom are children and women, with over 11,000 missing and widespread devastation and a lethal famine.
