Global Campaign Demands Action for Lebanese Detainees in “Israeli” Jails

By Fatima Salemeh 

Amid continuing international silence, the plight of Lebanese detainees held by the “Israeli” occupation has become the focus of a growing global campaign. In an exclusive interview with Al-Ahed News, Charlotte Kates, spokesperson for the international campaign to free Lebanese detainees in “Israeli” prisons, highlights the urgent need to break the silence surrounding their imprisonment and secure their release.

Kates described the detainees’ confinement as extending beyond physical captivity, saying they are also bound “by the silence imposed upon their case and their existence.” In many cases, she noted, “Israeli” authorities do not even admit holding these detainees, and families often learn of their imprisonment only through freed Lebanese and Palestinian detainees. She stressed that breaking this silence is critical to build international support and pursue legal accountability for those responsible.

Highlighting the role of international powers, Kates strongly criticized countries like the United States and France, describing their silence as “in many ways, complicity.” She explained that these countries are “trying to pressure Lebanon to impose their will and hegemony against its people and their Resistance, while funding and arming the Zionist entity to continue its attacks on Lebanon and its ceasefire violations, including the imprisonment of the Lebanese detainees.” She added, “They aren’t merely silent — they’re involved in the crime.” 

Kates also stressed the failure of international institutions arguing that they should have acted long ago, suggesting one step would be expelling “Israel” from the United Nations. Even humanitarian organizations face restrictions; she noted that the International Committee of the Red Cross “is barred from seeing the Lebanese detainees,” while “Israel” barely acknowledges holding them.

The detainees are held in the underground “Rakevet” prison beneath “Ayalon,” deprived of natural light, isolated, starved and subjected to harsh conditions. Kates warned that “Israel” actively seeks to conceal these abuses from the international community, making advocacy and awareness crucial.

The campaign urges global action through petitions, awareness initiatives, statements from political and civic institutions and legal measures to secure the release of Lebanese detainees. Kates emphasized that their fate is closely linked to that of over 9,000 Palestinian, highlighting the broader challenges facing Lebanon amid ongoing illegitimate aggression.

For more information or to support the campaign, visit https://freelebaneseprisoners.com.