Palestinians rally for release of prisoners in Israel

By Nour Abu Aisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Scores of Palestinians staged a rally in Gaza City on Monday to express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails.

Gathering outside the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, protesters waved banners demanding international pressure on Israel to release their detained loved ones.

They also chanted slogans in support of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque and stressed Jerusalem’s Arab identity.

“Detained Palestinians in Israeli jails are ready to sacrifice their lives for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa,” Samira al-Hajj Ahmed, whose son, Raed, remains in Israeli custody, told Anadolu Agency.

“Jerusalem will remain Palestinian, Arab and Muslim,” she added. “The U.S. president has no right to recognize it as Israel’s capital.”

On Dec. 6, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, triggering a wave of protest and condemnation from across the Arab and Muslim world.

According to Ahmed, she has been prohibited from visiting her son -- who has remained in detention for the last two years -- in prison.

She called on international rights groups and the wider international community to ratchet up pressure on Israel to allow Palestinians to visit their jailed friends and relatives.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs, more than 6,500 Palestinians -- including some 350 from the blockaded Gaza Strip -- continue to languish in detention facilities throughout Israel.