RAMALLAH, June 11, 2014 (WAFA) – Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Saeb Erekat, briefed, in an official letter on Tuesday,  High Representative of the  European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, on the situation of the Palestinian hunger striking detainees, held in Israeli jails.

Following is Erekat’s letter:

''I am writing on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization and President Mahmoud Abbas to request your immediate intervention on behalf of the approximately 130 Palestinian detainees and prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli prisons.

The hunger strike commenced on 24 April 2014 when about 90 detainees refused food in protest of their continued administrative detention. Palestinian administrative detainees are placed in prison without charge or trial and without any legal due process.

Since April 24^th, the hunger strike has widened in scope with the participation of more than 400 Palestinian prisoners. The Palestinian public across Palestine and Diaspora has also been engaged in mass protests in support of the hunger striker and in denouncement of the policy of administrative detention.

Two Palestinian teenagers were killed on 15^th of May, 2014 by Israeli forces near Ofer prison, underscoring the urgency of the situation and the need for an immediate, effective and proper intervention on the part of the international community of states and responsible international actors.

The hunger strike being carried out by prisoners held in administrative [detention] shines a light on one of the most severe injustices of military rule in the occupied State of Palestine. Palestinian residents are routinely held in administrative detention for many months, sometimes even years, without being informed of the charges against them or when they will be released. Under international law, administrative detention is only allowed under very clear and exceptional circumstances. According to international law, administrative detention should be the last means to prevent a danger that cannot be thwarted by other and less harmful means.

Israeli use of administrative detention clearly violates international law. Israel denies administrative detainees the right to see the evidence against them, the detention is renewable and has no upper limit, prisoners are not informed of their release date and they do not stand any trial. Administrative detainees are simply denied the right or the possibility of a proper defense. Israel uses this policy in a systematic manner and in many cases applies it against Palestinians on the basis of their political opinions. For example, six of the hunger strikers are members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, imprisoned by Israel without charge or trial and for no other reason that their political leanings and sentiments.

Israel has imposed punitive measures against the hunger strikers and the situation of the hunger strikers has continued to deteriorate as a result. Israel isolated those on a hunger strike from the rest of the prison population, Israeli prime minister has publicly declared his intention to force feed hunger strikers if the Knesset approves a proposed law which would allow such practice, and Israeli Prison Service has been conducting intrusive searches and violent raids on hunger strikers’ prison cells. Moreover, Israel denied hunger strikers access to salt for the first fifteen days of the hunger strike, and has confiscated all personal belongings of Palestinian detainees and limited legal counsel access to hunger strikers. Israeli physicians have been conspiring with Israel Prison Service to break the strike which prompted Palestinian detainees to stop cooperating with prison clinics. As you already know, the World Medical Association Malta Declaration on hunger strikes clearly and unequivocally states that: “Physicians or other health care personnel may not apply undue pressure of any sort on the hunger striker to suspend the strike.”

The physiological war Israel is conducting against hunger strikers has been met with even more determination by the prisoners themselves to continue struggle to end the policy of ‘administrative detention’ as applied by Israel.

Israel has reneged on its previous agreements with representatives of the prisoners in which it agreed to apply administrative detention in exceptional circumstances as prescribed in international law. This includes limited use of administrative detention. However, since the agreement signed on May 2012, Israel has failed to meet its obligations and instead of limiting the use of administrative detention, it has in fact increased it significantly.

By reneging in its agreements and continuing with a draconian military law, Israel is forcing Palestinian prisoners to declare a hunger strike. The majority of the strikers are now in their 47^thday without food. Immediate intervention, by holding Israel responsible for the health of all hunger striker is needed. Israel is responsible for the lives of all prisoners on hunger strike and is responsible for any political ramifications arising from the deterioration of prisoners’ health.

We call on you to call on Israel to annul the policy of administrative detention and to condition deepening your bi-lateral ties with Israel pending Israel’s fulfillment of all its obligations as an Occupying Power under international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, as per your obligation under international law.''

M.N./T.R.