Date: 16/4/2026
Calling for the international prosecution of the occupation and the repeal of unjust execution laws against prisoners
The Department of Refugee Affairs of the Palestine Liberation Organization, along with its popular committees in the camps of the Gaza Strip, participated today, Wednesday—under the directives of Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi, Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs—in a mass rally commemorating Palestinian Prisoner’s Day. The event was held in front of the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in central Gaza City, with wide participation from representatives of national and Islamic factions, popular committees in the camps, mukhtars, families of prisoners, and large crowds from our people, following a call by the Committee of National and Islamic Forces in the Gaza Strip.
During the event, led by the leadership of Fatah Movement, Palestinian flags, photos of prisoners, and banners were raised affirming our people’s commitment to their national rights and calling for the immediate release of all prisoners and detainees in occupation prisons, especially the sick, women, and children, in light of the harsh detention conditions they endure in violation of international law.
The Department and its popular committees affirmed that the issue of prisoners will remain at the forefront of the priorities of the Palestinian leadership and President Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, as well as among the top priorities of the Palestinian government and the Palestine Liberation Organization. They stressed that the suffering of prisoners is an integral part of the suffering of the Palestinian people wherever they are.
The Department and its popular committees called on the international community and human rights institutions, foremost among them the International Committee of the Red Cross, to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities تجاه what prisoners are subjected to. They emphasized that the role entrusted to these institutions obliges them to pressure the occupation authorities to halt ongoing violations, ensure regular visits, and provide necessary medical care to prisoners as fundamental, non-negotiable rights.
They also called for the repeal of the “Prisoners’ Execution Law” and the complete cessation of its implementation, considering this legislation a dangerous precedent for the physical liquidation of prisoners under a false legal cover.
They noted that attempts to legitimize killing constitute a blatant challenge to the will of the international community and its humanitarian values, necessitating a firm international stance that goes beyond mere verbal condemnation, especially as these practices and laws represent a grave violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The Department and its popular committees considered these laws and practices to be a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, affirming that legislating executions constitutes a clear breach of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, particularly Article 8 thereof, which classifies such acts as “war crimes,” thereby requiring international action to prosecute and hold the leaders of the occupation accountable.
