Aida Youth Centre Relaunches Right Of Return Bazaar In Bethlehem After Two-Year Hiatus

In Bethlehem, the Aida Youth Centre relaunched its “Right of Return Bazaar” for the fourth time during Eid al-Adha after a two-year hiatus, holding the event at Aida refugee camp as Palestinians grapple with the lasting impact of war and displacement.

“Toggle Play THE BAZAAR OF RETURN IN AIDA REFUGEE CAMP Read more Aida refugee camp is surrounded by Israel’s separation wall, military watchtowers, and remote-controlled guns”

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The launch ceremony opened with a minute of silence for Palestinians killed in the conflict, followed by the national anthem, and organisers said the bazaar symbolises resilience and the enduring demand for the right of return.

Al Jazeera

The event ran from Friday into Saturday night, with dozens of vendors offering handmade goods including traditional crafts, jewellery, decorations and homemade food products from within the camp and surrounding areas.

Bethlehem Mayor Hanna Hanania attended alongside municipal council member George Salman and former Minister of Detainees Issa Qaraqe, while released prisoner Rizq Salah and Aida camp popular committee head Saeed Al-Azza were also present.

Former prisoner Nasser Abu Srour, who was deported to Egypt, stressed the importance of such initiatives in reinforcing commitment to the right of return, saying, “We must continue to hold on to our national rights and ensure that each generation plays its role in preserving the narrative and continuing the struggle,” as the bazaar’s name and location were described as reflecting the Palestinian right of return.

In the West Bank, the prisoners’ institutions and the national forces and factions announced the program of central events to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, which falls on April 17 each year.

The announcement came during a weekly sit-in dedicated to supporting the prisoners in the Israeli occupation’s prisons, held Tuesday in the square at the Al-Bireh Cultural Center in the city of Al-Bireh.

Le Devoir

According to the program, central events were scheduled for 12:00 noon on the coming Thursday in Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilia, Tubas, and Salfit, while Jericho was set for 11:00 a.m. on the same day and Nablus would host a second event on Sunday the 19th of the current month.

The events this year were to be held under the slogan: “Together to Overthrow the Prisoners’ Execution Law,” and the statement read by Abdullah Al-Zughari on behalf of the prisoners’ institutions said, “The seventeenth of April has, for 52 years, stood as a landmark in national consciousness.”

Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governor Leila Ghannam said the enactment of the Israeli occupation’s death-penalty law for prisoners and the accompanying celebratory scenes in the Knesset “constitute a new challenge to the entire world and to all international institutions that raise slogans of democracy and human rights.”

As the bazaar continued in Aida refugee camp, organizers said the event’s symbolic name and location—held under the Gate and the Key of Return—embodied refugees’ commitment to their historical right to return to their villages and towns of origin.

“PNN Report: The Launch of the Return Bazaar in the Aida Refugee Camp Amid Broad Popular Welcome and Turnout The Return Bazaar, launched yesterday, Friday, continues today, Saturday, until midnight, with the participation of dozens of artisans”

Mena FN

In remarks at the bazaar’s launch, released prisoner and exile to Egypt Nasser Abu Sarour warned against attempts by the occupation to turn the camp from a political and national issue into merely a social identity, stressing that the camp must remain a “waiting station for return, not a final destination.”

Abu Sarour also recalled depopulated villages including Beit Netifa, Al-Malihah, Dir’ran, Ras Abu Omar, Aliyah, and others, and he said he had pledged to move his father’s remains to Beit Netif and pledged to move his mother’s remains as well when return is realized.

Saeed Al-Aza, head of the Popular Committee for Ayda Camp Services, welcomed participants and said the bazaar coincides with commemorating the 78th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, which he said continues to this day.

The Bethlehem Mayor Hanna Hanania praised the partnership between the municipality, Ayda Youth Center, and the camp’s Popular Committee, saying, “What we see here reflects a model of perseverance and attachment to rights,” during a tour of the bazaar.