PALESTINIAN Kareen Yousin who has been incarcerated in Israel prison for 40 years has been set free much to the happiness of Palestinians.
The State of Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said Yousin’s freedom has been long awaited by his fellow countrymen.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates salutes Kareen Younis who after four decades of unlawful imprisonment by the Israeli occupation authorities, gained his freedom,” the Ministry said.
“His freedom has been long deserved and long awaited. In this regard, the Ministry reaffirms that Israel, the occupying power, uses the systematic and widespread policy of arbitrary detention, long-term imprisonments and discriminatory trials as prosecutory tools to punish and intimidate the Palestinian people.”
The Ministry said since the beginning of its settler-colonial occupation, Israel has imprisoned and detained over 800 000 Palestinians.
It said currently, Israel holds around 47 000 Palestinians in its “unlawful” detention centres including 150 children and 34 women.
“The continued illegal detention of Palestinians and Israel’s policy of mass incarceration are integral parts of the system of persecution and apartheid Israel maintains to preserve its colonial occupation of Palestine.
“Palestine will continue to reject and oppose these abhorrent practices and grave violations of international law and endeavour to free all Palestinian prisoners,” said the Ministry.
Palestine has also condemned Israel’s forced invasion and continued aggression against Al-Haram Al-Sharif, a place of Muslim worship.
Palestine Ambassador to Zimbabwe Tamer Almassri said Israel’s new right-wing Minister and supremacist, Itamar Ben-Gvir, in gross violation of international law and the historic, legal, and political status quo of Jerusalem and the Holy sites was threatening to trigger a religious war.
“It is with great alarm that we call on the international community to act urgently to halt the impending explosion of the situation in Palestine and the grave threats these Israeli crimes and violations pose to international peace and security.
“Ben-Gvir is a blatant fascist who has repeatedly incited against the Palestinian people and against this sacred site and repeatedly stoked violence and terror with his inflammatory rhetoric, hateful threats and provocative actions.”
Ambassador Almassri said Ben-Gvir was aided, abetted, and protected by Israeli occupying forces in yet another belligerent attempt to assert Israeli sovereignty over Holy Sites, in grave breach of international law. – The Herald
