Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jail to start open-ended hunger strike

Mohamed Badereldin, Friday 18 Aug 2023

​Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are gearing up for an open-ended hunger strike against the aggressive tactics practised by Israeli guards and authorities.

Palestine
Gilboa Prison in northern Israel. AFP


The strike aims to protest the ongoing raids of prisoners’ rooms by Israeli guards at various prisons, according to a recent report from the news agency WAFA.

Around 75 prisoners have announced their participation in the hunger strike in response to arbitrary transfers from Naqab to Nafha prison.

According to a joint statement by the PLO Detainees and Ex-Detainees Commission and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS), the prisoners’ decision to start a hunger strike follows the provocative visit of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Be-Gvir to Ofer prison, southwest of Ramallah, and his persistent threats against Palestinian prisoners.

Simultaneously, nine Palestinian detainees continued their open-ended hunger strike to protest unfair administrative detention under Israel's policy.

These detainees include Kayed Al-Fasfous, Sultan Khlouf, Osama Darkouk, Hadi Nazzal, Mohammad Taysir Zakarneh, Anas Kmail, Abdelrahman Baraka, Mohammed Basem Ikhmis, and Zuhdi Abdo.

Requests for Int'l Intervention
 

Fatah Deputy Head Mahmoud Al-Aloul warned about the consequences of Israeli aggression towards Palestinian prisoners, urging immediate international action to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.

Al-Aloul closely monitors the conditions of prisoners, particularly those held in Naqab desert prison, who face systematic oppression, provocative inspections, and punitive policies under the influence of extremist Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Any harm or isolation inflicted on prisoners will result in grave repercussions, asserted Al-Aloul, emphasizing continuous efforts to protect the prisoners from abuse within Israeli occupation prisons.

The PLO Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees called on the international community to break its silence on Israel's administrative detention practices.

The commission demanded the immediate formation of an international human rights committee to investigate the details of administrative detention and witness the suffering endured by detainees, who are held without being charged or tried, at the hands of Israeli intelligence officers.

According to Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, the number of people in administrative detention has reached 1,017, the highest count since April 2003. 

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