Sit-in in Minyeh in support of Lebanese, Palestinian prisoners in Israel

Representatives of Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners and former detainees in Israel organized a sit-in on Sunday in the town of Minyeh, in northern Lebanon, our correspondent reports.

This gathering was attended by Lebanese and Palestinian political officials, as well as former prisoner Georges Abdallah, who was released last July after having been incarcerated in France for more than 40 years.

The participants expressed their support for the families of the detainees and called on the international community to take up their cause. Abdallah, for his part, stated that “there is neither sovereignty nor dignity in a country that does not care for its prisoners,” while also calling for “a unified stance” on the matter.

“We call on the head of state, the prime minister and the parliament speaker, as well as religious authorities and the media, to consider the release of our prisoners as a national priority,” said Jamal Skaff, speaking on behalf of the relatives of the detainees. He also called on the Lebanese foreign minister to address this issue, “away from American dictates.”

At least nine Lebanese civilians are still detained in Israel, most of them abducted since the launch of the Israeli ground offensive in southern Lebanon in late September 2024. Six others, also incarcerated in Israel, have been identified as Hezbollah affiliates, while the Israeli state also continues to hold Captain Imad Amhaz, who was abducted in Batroun by an Israeli amphibious commando.