A hunger strike by Palestinians held by Israel without charges has entered a second month, and an official says 40 of 240 hunger-strikers have been transferred to hospitals.
Sivan Weizman of Israel's Prison Authority said Tuesday that the condition of those hospitalized is "reasonable," but did not elaborate. Addameer, a rights group that visited some of the hunger strikers, says their health is deteriorating.
The prisoners demand an end to open-ended "administrative detention," which allows Israel to hold people without charge. The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem says that as of April, there were 191 Palestinian administrative detainees.
In all, Israel is holding more than 5,000 Palestinians convicted or accused of anti-Israeli activity.
The current hunger strike was launched April 24 by 80 detainees and more have joined since then.
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