BETHLEHEM, December 20, 2025 (WAFA) — Activities for the international campaign calling for the release of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti and all prisoners held in Israeli occupation jails were launched on Saturday in front of Bethlehem Municipality, with wide official and popular participation.

The campaign, organized by Bethlehem Municipality in cooperation with prisoner support organizations, aims to emphasize the centrality of the prisoners’ cause in national awareness and to reject the occupation’s repressive policies against them.

Bethlehem Mayor Maher Qanawati said that prisoners face extremely difficult humanitarian conditions in Israeli jails, amid escalating violations and punitive measures, particularly administrative detention, under which large numbers of prisoners are held without charge or trial for unspecified periods.

He stressed that this policy constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and called on the international community and human rights organizations to assume their responsibilities and act urgently to stop these violations.

Participants in the event said the campaign seeks to renew commitment to the prisoners, shed light on their suffering, and mobilize broader international support for their just cause. They called for the immediate release of all prisoners, an end to administrative detention, and accountability for the occupation’s crimes against them.

Participants carried banners affirming that freedom for the prisoners is freedom for the homeland and that the prisoners’ cause will remain a national priority until they achieve full liberation.

M.N