1,380 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons are going to start an open hunger strike next Friday, in protest against the repression practiced against them by the occupation.
According to Palestinian human rights organisations; “The prisoners in all prisons decided to escalate in response to the punitive measures practiced against them, following the escape of six prisoners.”
“The prisoners decided to start “the battle to protect the right” hunger strike in groups, where the first group includes 1380 detainees from all prisons,” adding that the prisoners from the various organisations decided that new groups would go on strike following this strike, and that 100 prisoners from the leaders of the organisations would go on a water strike on the Friday following the start of the strike.
The Palestinian prisoners demand “an end to the policy of repression, abuse, and arbitrary transfers, end the sentences imposed on hundreds of prisoners, release the isolated prisoners to normal cells, and restore the detention conditions before September 5, (prior to the escape from Gilboa prison).”
They also demand “an end to the policy of administrative detention, the suspension of the renewal policy for administrative detainees, the return of family visits, and allowing visits for families of Gaza prisoners.”
On September 6, six Palestinian prisoners escaped from the high-security Gilboa prison in northern Israel through a tunnel dug from their cell to the outside of the prison. Four of them were re-arrested last Friday and Saturday, while the Israeli security forces are searching for the activist Yaqoub Nafi’at, and Ayham Fouad Kammaji.
The number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons is about 4650, including 40 women prisoners, about 200 minors, in addition to 520 administrative prisoners, held without charge or trial, as of September 6, according to human rights organizations.
