RAMALLAH, February 27, 2013 – A Palestinian human rights organization said Wednesday that the number of prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails has increased to 12.

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association said in a statement that eight additional detainees have decided to join the hunger strike most in support of the current four hunger strikes: Samer Issawi, 33, Ayman Sharawna, 36, Tareq Qadan, 40, and Jaafar Izzidin, 41.

Mona Qadan, sister of Tareq Qadan, from Araba, Jenin area, started a hunger strike on February 20 in support of her brother who has been on hunger strike since November 28 protesting his administrative detention.

Addameer said Mona Qadan is believed to be currently in isolation as punishment for joining the hunger strike.

Maher Younis, 54, the longest serving Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails, began his hunger strike on February 24. He announced his strike with the goal of shedding light on the issue of pre-Oslo prisoners, who currently number 109, and the necessity of their release. Younis is from the town of Ara inside Israel and has spent over 30 years behind bars.

Administrative detainee Hazem Tawil, from Hebron, entered an open hunger strike on February 20, one day after his detention, in protest against issuing a six-month administrative detention order against him. He is currently in isolation in Ofer prison near Ramallah.

Tawil had previously spent a year-and-a-half in administrative detention.

Samer Al-Barq, 38, from Jayyous, Qalqilia area, started hunger strike after his administrative detention was renewed on Sunday for a period of three months. Barq went on a number of hunger strikes in the past years and has been administratively detained since July 2010.

Addameer said that Younis Hroub announced a hunger strike in protest against his administrative detention, and Ayman Saker, Sofian Rabie and Omar Dar Ayyoub have also announced an open hunger strike in support of the other striking prisoners.

M.S.