UN Calls for Protection of Palestinian Prisoners amid Virus Pandemic

By Staff, Agencies

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded the protection of Palestinian prisoners being held in ‘Israeli’ occupation jails and detention facilities amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Guterres also asked his Special Coordinator for the Middle East ‘Peace’ Process, Nikolay Mladenov, to remain in contact with ‘Israeli’ officials to ensure that due attention is paid.

In a letter addressed to the Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO] Executive Committee Saeb Erekat on Friday, Guterres pointed to the reduction of prison overcrowding and restrictions on family visits in order to improve public health conditions.

He also stressed the need for coronavirus tests to identify the infected prisoners to quarantine.

Relatively, Palestinian Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, has already warned about the dire consequences of keeping Palestinian prisoners in ‘Israeli’ jails, denouncing the Tel Aviv regime’s utter disregard for local and international calls to release them amid the COVID-19 pandemic.