Ruba Shabit
Press TV, Gaza
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have marked Prisoners’ Day. Rights activists, political figures and relatives of Palestinian prisoner took part in a conference in Gaza to draw attention to the poor condition of Israeli jails amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On the occasion of Palestinian Prisoners' Day, the prisoners' committee of the Islamic and national forces in the Gaza Strip organized a conference to discuss and draw attention to the poor condition of Israeli jails amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants, including the relatives of Palestinian detainees, expressed concern about the prisoners’ health condition.
They also called on the international community to ensure the prisoners’ health amid the outbreak
Representatives of Palestinian factions who attended the conference said that they were working on a prisoner swap deal which could save the lives of many prisoners.
Rights groups say Palestinian prisoners are systemically subjected to torture and ill treatment. The Palestinian prisoners’ committee has warned about a rapid spread of the coronavirus among prisoners while Israel fails to take any concrete measures to protect the prisoners.
Around 5,000 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons. Palestinians are concerned about the prisoners’ health amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic. They say the international community must do whatever it can to prevent an outbreak in Israeli jails.
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