RAMALLAH, May 22, 2017 (WAFA) – Palestinians across the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem observed Monday a general strike in support of the over 1,800 hunger striking Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

Public and private institutions, including schools, universities, shops, transportation and other facilities were all shut down, with the exclusion of health services, pharmacies and bakeries.

The media committee of the Detainees Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said health condition of most of the strikers is deteriorating, with some taken to prison clinics and other moved to hospital due to their critical health condition. 

The committee denied Israeli reports regarding negotiations between the leadership of the strike and the Israel Prison Service.

On Sunday, some 200 Palestinian prisoners joined the hunger striking prisoners to bring the number up to 1,800.

The decision to join the hunger strike came as the Israel Prison Service refuses to negotiating the demands of the hunger strikers, the media committee of the Detainees Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said.

The hunger strikers are calling for better access to medical care; increased visit duration from 45 to 90 minutes; removal of glass barriers during family visits; improved detention conditions including easing restrictions on the entry of books, clothing, food and other gifts from family members; installing phones to enable prisoners to communicate with their families and an end to the policy of administrative detention.

M.N./M.K.