General Strike and Angry Protests Across the West Bank and
Jerusalem in Rejection of “Prisoners’ Execution” Law
The city
of Ramallah, in the central West Bank, witnessed a massive march on Wednesday
condemning the Israeli Knesset’s approval of a law allowing the execution of
Palestinian prisoners. The protest coincided with a comprehensive general
strike that swept across cities in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem,
rejecting what has been described as a discriminatory law that has sparked
widespread Palestinian and international outrage.
Anger in
the Palestinian Street
The
march started from Al-Manara Square following a rally organized by institutions
concerned with prisoners’ affairs, including the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club,
the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, and Addameer Prisoner
Support and Human Rights Association. The march proceeded through the city
streets with the participation of Palestinian faction leaders and religious
figures, amid chants condemning occupation violations and supporting prisoners
inside Israeli jails.
Participants
raised Palestinian flags and solidarity banners, while the general strike
brought daily life to a halt in response to a call by the Fatah movement.
Shops, public and private institutions, banks, universities, and schools were
closed, with the exception of essential services such as hospitals and
bakeries.
Streets
in Ramallah, home to the Palestinian presidency and government headquarters,
appeared nearly deserted, reflecting the scale of public anger. In occupied
East Jerusalem, the strike extended across various neighborhoods, with shops
shuttered in major streets such as Salah al-Din, Sultan Suleiman, and Al-Zahra,
as well as in the Old City, accompanied by a noticeable absence of movement.
Political
Messages and International Pressure
Amin
Shoman, head of the Higher National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs, stated
that the march and strike send a clear message to the international community
calling for urgent intervention to thwart the law and pressure Israel’s
far-right government and Supreme Court to revoke it. He stressed that the
growing popular movement reflects Palestinian unity in supporting prisoners and
rejecting any measures targeting them.
Rania
Al-Barghouti, mother of prisoner Mohammed Al-Barghouti, expressed deep concern
over her son’s fate amid a lack of information about him, calling for immediate
international intervention to halt what she described as an unjust law.
On
Monday, the Israeli Knesset approved a bill allowing the death penalty for
Palestinian prisoners by a simple majority, without requiring unanimous
judicial approval or a request from the prosecution. The law also applies to
military courts and grants the Israeli Minister of Defense the right to present
opinions before the court.
According
to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the law applies to 117
Palestinian prisoners accused of “deliberately” killing Israelis. More than
9,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including children
and women, amid human rights reports documenting torture, medical neglect, and
starvation, which have led to the deaths of several detainees.
Since
October 2023, the Israeli occupation has escalated measures against Palestinian
prisoners, coinciding with the ongoing war on Gaza, which has resulted in more
than 72,000 martyrs and 172,000 injured, most of them women and children.
(Source: Arabi21)
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* للاطلاع على الترجمة الكاملة للخبر باللغة
العربية، اضغط (هنا).