As a prisoner support organization, it is incumbent on us to stand with all Palestinian prisoners and to raise our voice against their subjugation at the hands of the occupation. This is exactly why we must make a clear statement, and take a principled stand on Gaza.

Last night, 10 June 2018, a protest took place in the streets of Ramallah demanding that the Palestinian Authority do everything within its power to aid the lifting of the blockade, and not to add to the suffering of the people of Gaza.

The people of Gaza have been subject not only to the Israeli show of force, and to being the cruel example of the punishment that could be met out against the people of the West Bank if they don’t behave, but also to political games of the Palestinian leadership. As part of political jostling undertaken by all, the suffering met out by the occupation has only been compounded.

All Palestinians, to some extent or another, are an imprisoned people. Whether you are confined to the illusion of Ramallah, confined to the four walls of a cell, or bound in by the fence in Gaza, there must be a recognition that our struggle is one in the same. We must stand united despite the differing degrees of our imprisonment. This is the assertion that the protesters were making last night.

Thus, we echo their calls for solidarity and we restate their basic assertion. We must stand with Palestinian prisoners of all variety, and make clear that this includes those imprisoned behind the fence of Gaza.