HEBRON, June 6, 2012 (WAFA) – Israeli soldiers from the Nahshon special unit stormed a section of Rimon prison, in southern Israel, early Wednesday and attacked Palestinian prisoners, injuring several, according to Minister of Prisoners Issa Qaraqe.

He told WAFA that a large unit of Israeli soldiers stormed section four of the prison, which houses 120 prisoners, under the pretext of “inspection.” The soldiers fired tear gas and battered the prisoners, who confronted them, causing suffocation cases and bodily harm.

The Palestinian Prisoner Club (PPC) said the prisoners burnt their mattresses to protest Israeli brutality, adding that PPC lawyers were trying to organize an urgent visit to check on the situation as the Israeli Prison Service announced state of emergency in the prison.

Qaraqe described the Israeli action as an “act of vengeance” and “systematic terrorism” targeting the Palestinian prisoners following the four-week hunger strike around 2000 prisoners had observed in April and May protesting conditions in Israeli prisons.

R.Q./M.S.