Prisoners are at the heart of the national struggle and a symbol of our people’s unity and resistance

To our heroic people in the homeland and in the diaspora,

This year, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day comes as our people face one of the most brutal and bloody periods in their history, under an ongoing zionist genocide targeting Palestinians wherever they are — in Gaza, the West Bank, Al-Quds, and even inside prison cells. There, the Palestinian prisoners’ movement stands at the forefront of the confrontation, in the trenches of steadfastness and dignity, paying a heavy price in defense of land, rights, freedom, and honor.

On this national day of struggle, we stand with pride and reverence before the heroism of our female and male prisoners, who face — day and night — the fascist policies of the occupation, including systematic torture, deadly medical neglect, starvation, humiliation, and the denial of basic human rights. Their suffering reflects the broader genocidal policies targeting all segments of our people, especially in heroic, steadfast Gaza and the defiant West Bank.

We extend our deep respect and tribute to the martyrs of the prisoners’ movement, foremost among them the martyred leader Walid Daqqah, who passed away due to deliberate medical neglect, remaining a living symbol of sacrifice and steadfastness in the face of zionist injustice.

We also salute the imprisoned leaders, foremost among them Comrade Ahmed Sa’adat, Secretary-General of the PFLP and a symbol of steadfast resistance, along with his comrades in the prisons: Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh, Kamil Abu Hanish, Walid Hanatsheh, Samer Arbid, Zahir Shashtari, and others, alongside national leaders such as Marwan Barghouti, Hassan Salameh, Bassam al-Saadi, Wajdi Joudeh, Bassem al-Khandakji, and a long list of prisoners. We proudly recognize our women prisoners, youth detainees, and prisoners from Jerusalem, inside the ’48 territories, and across the Arab world.

To our people,

What the prisoners—particularly those from Gaza—are enduring constitutes a full-fledged war crime. Dozens have been executed, while the fate of hundreds remains unknown amid a horrific campaign of enforced disappearance, targeting detained women, children, and the sick since October 7, 2023. The fascist, racist occupation government, led by war criminals such as Ben Gvir, has institutionalized a system of systematic torture and abuse, openly inciting the killing of prisoners and stripping them of hard-won rights achieved through blood and hunger strikes.

Today, over 9,900 prisoners, including 29 women, around 400 children, and more than 3,498 administrative detainees, are held under inhumane conditions — a disgrace to the silent world.

The prisoners’ cause has always been and will always remain a central part of our liberation struggle — not a seasonal issue, but a permanent symbol of unity and resistance. Therefore, we in the PFLP affirm the following on this day:

  1. We renew our pledge of loyalty to our heroic prisoners and call for their cause to be placed at the forefront of national, field, official, and popular efforts. The resistance pledges to break their chains and work tirelessly for the liberation of all of them, without exception.
  1. We call for the development of a comprehensive national strategy for the prisoners’ cause — moving it beyond symbolic gestures to a sustained, daily struggle that involves all sectors.
  1. We firmly reject any harm to prisoners’ stipends and rights, demand the repeal of all punitive measures against them and their families, and call for laws that guarantee their rights, dignity, and decent living.
  1. We urge the international community and human rights organizations — especially the International Criminal Court (ICC) — to break their shameful silence and complicity, and to act urgently to hold the occupation accountable for its crimes against prisoners and to impose sanctions to stop these fascist violations.
  1. We value the efforts of human rights institutions, international networks, trade unions, and grassroots organizations that support the prisoners’ cause. We call for expanding pressure and boycott campaigns against the occupation, and for continuing international actions in support of prisoners’ rights — including legal efforts to prosecute the occupation for its crimes against the prisoners’ movement. In this context, we call for the urgent and ongoing deployment of international missions to uncover the fate of thousands of Gaza detainees whose whereabouts remain unknown. These individuals are being held in secret camps and detention centers and subjected to brutal torture — particularly at “Sde Teman” Camp — in what constitutes a full-fledged war crime requiring immediate action by international organizations, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has abandoned its responsibilities.
  1. Finally, we affirm that the prisoners’ cause is a continuous struggle until full liberation. Victory will not be complete until the last prisoner is freed, the last refugee returns, and this racist, oppressive occupation is dismantled.

Glory to the martyrs Freedom to the prisoners Victory to the resistance and our great people

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

Central Media Department

April 16, 2025