Families of Palestinians in Israeli prisons staged a sit-in on Thursday in front of the East Jerusalem offices of the Red Cross. As with similar nonviolent demonstrations held on a weekly basis in other West Bank cities and throughout the Gaza Strip, the Jerusalem families were protesting the treatment of their loved ones.
Families of Palestinians in Israeli prisons staged a sit-in on Thursday in front of the East Jerusalem offices of the Red Cross. As with similar nonviolent demonstrations held on a weekly basis in other West Bank cities and throughout the Gaza Strip, the Jerusalem families were protesting the treatment of their loved ones.
During this time of the new unity government and the continuing blockade, the Israelis are accused of increasing violations in order to “humiliate the prisoners and undermine national steadfastness.” During the Jerusalem demonstration family members gave personal testimony, much of it coming from women who explained the extent of searches and humiliations that they must undergo before and after visits.
There are families that are refusing to visit in protest of the treatment, particularly at Nafha and Ramon prisons. Israeli forces are holding two of Amir Zughiyar's children. He says that protests have thus far fallen on deaf ears. In Jerusalem on Thursday he told reporters, “We have talked to the Red Cross, which is the international body responsible for the issue of political prisoners receiving family visits. Only certain relatives are allowed visits, and only sometimes. The Red Cross promised to intervene. And we have lodged more complaints regarding humiliating treatment and other practices.”
Families are forced to wait for hours for visits without facilities and are invasively searched. On behalf of their children, many people are demanding that books from universities be allowed in so that the imprisoned generation does not grow up without education. They are demanding to restore the kitchen facilities that the political prisoners have created in order to properly feed themselves, and that routine bathing be allowed, if not for sanitary and humane reasons, at least in order to conform to the religious teachings of Islam.
The families also want to be able to put money in their childrens' accounts at the prison store where products for personal hygiene and food can be purchased. The Red Cross said Thursday that it will work on the issue of returning the kitchen facilities.
Family members spoke of the number of young children growing up without fathers, and some without mothers, trying to survive without income, and of the 70 Palestinians still in Israeli prisons since before the Oslo Accords.
