The occupied West Bank's Freedom Theatre has just been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize after being vandalized by Israeli occupation forces.

The theater itself, located in the Jenin refugee camp, which houses almost 24,000 Palestinians, has been a target of sabotage several times throughout the occupation's ongoing genocide in Gaza. What once radiated joy and light has now been riddled with holes by occupation bullets and vandalized with graffiti symbols of the Star of David. 

In December, Israeli soldiers raided the theater, ransacked its offices, and left behind the debris of a shot-down wall. 

On Tuesday, the theatre's official X account released a statement regarding the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, and expressed their gratitude for the nomination. 

'Dreaming of a new generation'

The Freedom Theatre was founded by Juliano Mer Khamis, who was killed in 2011, and Palestinian prisoner Zakaria Zubeidi, who is currently incarcerated in Israeli prisons. The statement gave the co-founders a tribute, saying, "Together, they dreamed of a new generation of artists who, from the heart of Jenin Camp, would raise their voices against discrimination, occupation, and oppression."

The theater's producer, Mustafa Sheta, was also detained by Israeli forces in a mass arrest campaign. Most detainees were later released, but Sheta was not. 

“Today marks two months since our producer, Mustafa Sheta, was taken by the Israeli Army and imprisoned without trial or charge. Mustafa is one of many in our team who have sacrificed their liberation for the goal of freedom of expression for all.” 

We are honoured to announce The Freedom Theatre has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize🧵 pic.twitter.com/zSAdjdCUwr

— The Freedom Theatre (@freedom_theatre) February 13, 2024

"Israel" detains 7,000 Palestinians in 130 days

In addition to Mustafa Sheta, over 7,000 Palestinians have been detained in the West Bank since the commencement of the extensive Israeli aggression against Palestinians 130 days ago.

The shocking revelation was made in a joint statement by the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS), and the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.

The joint statement added that approximately 220 women are among the total number of detainees, in addition to more than 440 children.

Moreover, the Israeli occupation arrested 53 journalists, with 36 still in detention, and placed 21 others under administrative detention, the statement added.

In further detail, the administrative detention orders exceeded 3,490, encompassing cases involving children and women, with orders ranging from new to renewed, the statement stressed. 

The statement further highlighted that the continuous detention efforts coincide with escalating offenses and violations. These include brutal beatings and threats against detainees and their families, as well as widespread sabotage and destruction of Palestinian homes.

A group of violations, abuse, terrorism, arrests, destruction, and theft in the West Bank. - Israeli soldier Liad Obada says in the first clip from Ramallah, “Whoever needs sabotage, we are here,” and then he posted a selfie of himself arresting an unarmed citizen in Bethlehem. https://t.co/cT9RbvYVYn

— A.K Mohsin (@ak_mohsin) February 12, 2024