‘Do not forget us’: Palestinian prisoners plead with Hajj pilgrims

A dozen Palestinian prisoners pen an emotional letter addressed to this year’s Hajj pilgrims, pleading for them to offer up their prayers for the Palestinian nation’s eventual freedom from the Israeli regime’s occupation and aggression.

The letter, titled, “Do not forget us,” was addressed to the pilgrims on Tuesday, approximately two days before they are about to start performing the annual pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

“From inside the occupation prisons, quarantined rooms, and isolation wards, we present our regards to the Arab and Muslim nation, especially our dear pilgrims,” read the letter.

“Do not forget us in your prayers,” added the undersigned, who include Zakaria Zubeidi, Mahmoud Ardah, Mohamed Qassem Ardah, and Munadil Yaqoub Nfeiat.

The four were among the six Palestinian prisoners, who staged a dramatic jailbreak from Gilboa, a maximum-security prison located in the northern part of the Israeli-Occupied Territories in September last year.

“Today, we talk to you through a written message, and tomorrow we will be talking to you in person and [eventually] meet you at the al-Aqsa Mosque,” said the inmates, hoping for the liberation of the mosque’s compound, which is Islam’s third-holiest site, from the scourge of the occupation.

“Wish us steadfastness, triumph, and fortitude in the face of adversities, as well as our freedom and an end to our sadness and sorrow,” the letter added.

“May God accept our and your good deeds and prayers,” it concluded.

ME