CPIML Liberations Statement on Palestinian Prisoners Day April 17

CPIML Liberation’s Statement on Palestinian Prisoner's Day April 17

New Delhi

April 17, 2020

On April 17, Palestinians will be commemorating the Day of the Prisoners to express their solidarity for thousands of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli occupation jails. On this day, Palestinians also remember the sacrifices given by the prisoners for the cause of liberation of Palestine.

On this day, we extend our solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners and Palestinian people in their struggle against the Israeli occupation, and for freedom and justice.

Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails

Amid the on-going global COVID-19 pandemic, Palestine continues to suffer immensely due to brutal Israeli military occupation of Palestine. Currently, around 5000 Palestinian political prisoners are in Israeli prisons and many are at high risk of contracting the virus. Many face deteriorating health due to the inhuman prison conditions, and physical and phycological torture by Israeli authorities. Hundreds of children, women, and elderly with chronic diseases are directly exposed to COVID-19.

Various international organizations, including International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) have expressed serious concerns about the rapidly deteriorating conditions of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Israeli authorities, despite the fact that some of the prisoners are infected with COVID-19, still refuse to provide detainees with tools and precautions, including masks, sanitisers, or preventive tests.

Instead of providing urgent medical care for Palestinian prisoners, Israel is using the pretext of the coronavirus to heighten its abuse of Palestinian detainees by imposing harsher restrictions on them. The Israeli prison authorities have limited sick and injured prisoners’ visits to medical clinics and cancelled all their check-ups despite many suffering symptoms of the virus.

Moreover, despite the on-going pandemic, Israel continues to raid and arrest Palestinians in occupied Palestinian territories. In March, Israeli forces arrested (357) Palestinians in the West Bank, among them (48) children and four women. Israel is using all means to intimidate the Palestinian population amid the pandemic and in one incident, Israeli forces deliberately spat at Palestinian houses’ doors and cars.

Israel should immediately provide all necessary medical care, and initiate steps to release all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees. Israeli forces immediately cease its raid and arrests in West Bank.

End brutal blockade of Gaza

The global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis which the besieged Gaza strip was witnessing. Gaza is under Israeli land-air-sea blockade since 2007. The brutal siege and the relentless Israeli bombing in Gaza, has already destroyed crucial infrastructures like hospitals, and sanitation and sewage facilities. According to reports, over 90 percent of Gaza’s water is not potable.

Gaza strip, highly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19 as its one of the most densely populated areas in the world, is home to some of the biggest Palestinian refugee camps. Extensive testing, and isolation and contact tracing of positive cases in Gaza is the need of the hour.

The blockade has restricted the entry of essential resources such as healthcare equipment, medication and building materials, among others. Amid the global pandemic, there are fears that if the virus spreads in Gaza, hospitals may very soon run out of necessary medical equipment and personal protective gear. Gaza is already facing a shortage of testing kits.

Israel should immediately end the land-air-sea blockade of Gaza and allow the entry of humanitarian aid and essential resources.

Release all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons

End raids and arrests of Palestinians in West Bank

End brutal blockade of Gaza

End Israeli occupation of Palestine

Issued by Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation

[email protected] | www.cpiml.net

+91 95607 56628 (Kavita Krishnan, PB member, CPIML)

+918826672016 (V. Arun, CPIML)