RAMALLAH, April 14, 2012 (WAFA) – Around 1,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails will start Tuesday an open-ended hunger strike to improve their prison conditions, Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Qaraqe’ said Saturday.

He said the strike coincides with the Palestinian Prisoner Day.

“The situation inside the prisons became extremely difficult and dangerous,” said Qaraqe’.

The prisoners are demanding to terminate the administrative detention policy, end the solitary confinement punishment, allow prisoners to pursue secondary and high education, allow family visits and improve their medical conditions, among other demands.

Officials and popular activists will commemorate Prisoner Day across the Palestinian Territory, opening with lighting the Freedom Torch in the Jenin-area town of Arraba in honor of some of the former Palestinian striking prisoners, such as Khader Adnan, Karim Younis and Lina Jarbouni.

R.Q./M.S.