Al-Qassam Website - Palestinian Prisoner Day is an annual observance held on April 17th to highlight the plight of Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails. This day serves as a reminder of the thousands of Palestinians who are currently incarcerated, hundreds without trial or charge, and often subjected to torture and other forms of mistreatment.

Since April 17, 1974, the day has been marked as an occasion to call attention to the ongoing struggle for Palestinian liberation and justice. Palestinian Prisoner Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the systematic oppression and abuse that Palestinian prisoners face on a daily basis.

As part of the commemoration of Palestinian Prisoner Day, rallies, demonstrations, and cultural events take place across Palestine and around the world. The aim of these events is to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and their struggle for justice and freedom.

The history of Palestinian prisoners is closely intertwined with the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. Since the Israeli occupation of Palestine in 1948, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been detained and imprisoned by Israeli occupation authorities.

The release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails is a key demand of the Palestinian liberation movement and a top priority for Hamas, and their freedom is seen as a critical step towards achieving justice, peace, and self-determination.

In recent years, the issue of Palestinian prisoners has gained more international attention and support. Several campaigns and initiatives have been launched to demand the release of Palestinian prisoners and hold the Israel occupation leaders accountable for their human rights violations. These efforts have included calls for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against the settler-colonial occupation state of Israel and its illegal settlements.

By the end of 2022, the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation jails had reached 4,700, including 29 women, nearly 150 minors, 850 detainees held without charge or trial, including seven children, and 15 journalists, according to Palestinian prisoners’ rights groups.

Palestinian Prisoner Day is an opportunity for peoples around the world to raise awareness about the suffering of Palestinian detainees and prisoners and to voice solidarity with their struggle for justice and freedom. It is also a reminder that the struggle for Palestinian liberation is ongoing and that we must continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people until they achieve their rights and freedom.