A marathon was held in Gaza on Friday in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners and their families.
Gaza’s Ministry of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners in Gaza held the marathon in the besieged Strip as a show of support and to raise awareness of the ongoing struggle of Palestinian prisoners.
Under the title Wafaa Al-Ahrar – Loyalty to the Free – the marathon was organized jointly with the Higher Council for Youth and Sports, the Prisoners’ Information Office, the Sheikh Ahmed Yassin Foundation, and the Prisoners Committee.
Starting at the Al-Baidar area, located in Al-Rasheed Street in Gaza, the long run finished at the Gaza port, where the closing ceremony was also held.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Prisoners, Bahaa Al-Madhoun, said that Palestinian prisoners are subjected to the brutality of Israeli occupation and that the Palestinian people will always stand in solidarity with the thousands of Palestinian prisoners and their families.
Currently, there are 4,780 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. According to the Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association Addameer, they include 29 women, 160 children and 915 administrative detainees.
At the ceremony, the Prisoners’ Information Office announced the winner of the Wafaa Al-Ahrar Marathon, Mahmoud Abu Sbeitan from the city of Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
Despite the small size of Gaza and the 16-year-old Israeli siege, long-distance running in the Strip has grown more popular in recent years, with several international marathoners hailing from the Gaza Strip.
(All Photos: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
