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Hundreds March for Palestinians Held in Israeli Jails

Palestinians hold up pictures of loved ones in Israeli custody at a rally in the West Bank city of Nablus called to protest recent reports of abuse and even torture © Zain JAAFAR / AFP
Palestinians hold up pictures of loved ones in Israeli custody at a rally in the West Bank city of Nablus called to protest recent reports of abuse and even torture © Zain JAAFAR / AFP
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Hundreds March for Palestinians Held in Israeli Jails

Palestinians hold up pictures of loved ones in Israeli custody at a rally in the West Bank city of Nablus called to protest recent reports of abuse and even torture © Zain JAAFAR / AFP
Palestinians hold up pictures of loved ones in Israeli custody at a rally in the West Bank city of Nablus called to protest recent reports of abuse and even torture © Zain JAAFAR / AFP

Hundreds of Palestinians marched to protest the treatment of prisoners held in Israeli jails on Saturday, following reports of abuse and even torture.

Relatives held up pictures of prisoners and waved Palestinian flags during separate demonstrations in Ramallah and Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

"Even if the whole world submits, we will not recognise Israel," chanted the protesters in Ramallah.

Thousands of Palestinians have been detained in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, the United Nations human rights office said this week.

They have mostly been held in secret and in some cases subjected to treatment that may amount to torture, the OHCHR said in a report.

"For 10 months, we haven't known anything about our sons," Latifa Abu Hamid, a mother of four prisoners, all sentenced to life, told AFP.

"We want to check on them and see them. We want to know their situation... We want our sons."

According to the Prisoners Club, a Palestinian watchdog, about 9,700 Palestinians are currently in Israeli jails, including hundreds under administrative detention.

The NGO estimates that arrests have doubled since October 7 compared to the same period last year.

The OHCHR report said that since the October 7 Hamas attacks, thousands of Palestinians -- including medics, patients, residents and captured fighters -- have been taken from Gaza to Israel, "usually shackled and blindfolded".

"They have generally been held in secret, without being given a reason for their detention, access to a lawyer or effective judicial review," this week's OHCHR report said.

Testimonies for the report suggested that Israel had subjected prisoners to "a range of appalling acts, such as waterboarding and the release of dogs on detainees", UN rights chief Volker Turk said.

The UN report was released the day after Israeli military police questioned soldiers arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee.

At the Ramallah demonstration, Umm Abdullah Hamed detailed how her brother, son and nephew had all been given multi-decade sentences.

"We feel like any family of a prisoner," Umm Abdullah Hamed, whose brother, son and nephew have all been sentenced to decades in prison, said at the Ramallah protest.

"We ask God Almighty to hasten their relief and freedom, God willing," she added.

 

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National Coalition: Positive Meeting with New Syrian Leadership

The head of the National Coalition (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The head of the National Coalition (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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National Coalition: Positive Meeting with New Syrian Leadership

The head of the National Coalition (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The head of the National Coalition (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Syrian National Coalition for Revolutionary and Opposition Forces announced that the meeting held on Wednesday evening at the People’s Palace in Damascus between Ahmed Al-Sharaa, leader of the new Syrian administration, and the head of the coalition, was “positive and constructive.”
The discussion reportedly involved a candid and transparent exchange of perspectives on the challenges of the current phase and potential strategies to address them in a manner that serves the Syrian people and nation.
In a statement published on its website on Sunday, the coalition addressed what it described as “misinformation” circulating on social media regarding the content of the meeting.
The group reaffirmed its support for the efforts of the interim government in Damascus “amid these difficult circumstances” to achieve security, civil peace, and stability, as well as to deliver essential services to citizens. It also expressed appreciation for the support of allied and friendly nations in providing humanitarian aid and assisting the new leadership in alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people and fostering stability.
During the meeting, the coalition leadership and the new Syrian administration discussed several critical issues, including plans for the upcoming national conference. Talks also covered the role of political and societal institutions, as well as civil society organizations that emerged during and prior to the revolution. The coalition clarified that the meeting did not involve discussions about quotas, appointments, or any matters unrelated to the broader interests of the Syrian people.
The statement underscored the need for collective action to support state-building efforts that align with the aspirations of the Syrian people. It reiterated the coalition’s vision for the transitional phase and emphasized the importance of unity among Syrians.
“All Syrians are in the same boat and must navigate it together, sharing responsibilities and working in coordination to achieve their common goals,” the statement read.