Resheq warns IOA of persisting in repressive measures against prisoners

Resheq warns IOA of persisting in repressive measures against prisoners

Political bureau member of Hamas movement Ezzet Al-Resheq warned the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) of persisting in repressive measures against Arab and Palestinian prisoners in its jails.

He said in a press release on Tuesday that such practices were in violation of the international law and the third and fourth Geneva conventions, adding that such practices are tantamount to “war crimes”.

The Hamas leader said that the IOA was holding 8,200 prisoners and detainees including 800 from the Gaza Strip, 500 from Jerusalem and Palestine occupied in 1948 and the rest from the West Bank. He noted that 400 of those prisoners and detainees are children, 33 are women and 15 are members of parliament.

Resheq hailed the prisoners who insisted on waging a hunger strike and other protest measures to regain their rights and maintained unity of national line, which foiled all IOA attempts to weaken them and abort their strike.

Hamas will try all efforts possible to liberate all prisoners, he said, adding that the price for the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit’s freedom would be the biggest possible number of freed Palestinian prisoners.

He urged the Arab and Islamic countries and the Palestinians everywhere to organize solidarity rallies with the Palestinian prisoners.

Resheq also asked the world community and human rights institutions to act against the IOA practices and to support the prisoners.