RAMALLAH, May 14, 2017 (WAFA) – The mass hunger strike launched by more than 1800 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails to demand better living and medical conditions among other demands, has entered its 28th day.
The strike, known as “Freedom and Dignity” battle, was started on April 17 when imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti launched an open-ended hunger strike campaign to protest the difficult humanitarian conditions in Israeli jails.
Palestinians throughout the occupied West Bank have been supporting and showing solidarity with the striking prisoners since the beginning of the strike through protests and marches.
A Palestinian youth was shot dead by Israeli soldiers during a demonstration in Ramallah in support of prisoners, becoming the first Palestinian to be killed in protests supporting prisoners.
While it was announced that Israeli Prison Service is going to start negotiations with prisoners’ leaderships over their demands, the national committee for supporting prisoners pointed that so far there haven’t been any official negotiations, amidst prisoners’ rejection of any sort of negotiations if it doesn’t involve strike leaders.
The prisoners are demanding to be moved to prisons in the occupied territories as per the Fourth Geneva Convention, which would make it easier for their families to visit them, as well as lifting restrictions on family visits and better treatment at military checkpoints.
Other demands include: An improvement of access to medical care; increasing visit duration from 45 to 90 minutes; families of women prisoners meet without glass barriers to allow mothers to hold their children; an improvement in detention conditions including easing restrictions on the entry of books, clothing, food and other gifts from family members; restoring some educational facilities; and installing phones to enable prisoners to communicate with their families.
The total number of political prisoners currently held in Israeli jails has reached 6500 prisoners, including 500 administrative detainees; 300 children; and 57 females.
K.T./T.R.
