Gazans demand legal protection for Palestinians held by Israel

By Nour Abu Eisha
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Palestinians in the Gaza Strip staged a rally on Monday to demand legal protection to detainees held by Israel.

“Freedom to Detainees” and “No to Administrative Detention” were among banners waved by protesters during the rally held outside the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City.

“The Palestinian resistance will not stand hand-tied to racist Israeli policies,” Zaki Dababesh, coordinator of the Detainees Committee, which organized the protest, said.

He appealed to the international community to intervene “to halt Israeli violations against detainees.”

Taghreed Abu Jameh, a lawyer for Addameer Foundation for Human Rights, said detainees are subject to various violations, citing solitary confinement and denying them family visits as examples of Israeli daily violations.

“The UN must take a clear stance on the Israeli war crimes against detainees,” she told the rally.

There was no comment from the Israeli authorities on the accusations.

According to Palestinian human rights organizations, Israel holds about 4,700 Palestinian prisoners inside its jails, including 700 administrative detainees.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report.