Between seven and ten thousand Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody began a hunger strike on Wednesday, marking the second week of a boycott where prisoners refuse family visits over concerns of maltreatment.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Society said that detainees in 10 central Israeli jails and three detention centers continue to take part in the strike action, notably including prisoners from all political factions.
Prisoners announced in March that they would refuse family visits from 1 April until 30 April, in protest over the use of visits by prison officials to manipulate detainees. The first day of the strike was marked with a 24-hour hunger strike, which officials said would be repeated on Wednesday.
The Palestinian Center for Prisoners' Studies said the Israeli Prison Service met with prisoner representatives across the jails and detention centers to listen to their demands, which include:
-Bringing an end to humiliating treatment of prisoners' relatives and checkpoints during visits;
-An end to depriving prisoners from Gaza their right to family visitations for the past four years, coinciding with the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit;
-Permitting prisoners to sit for the General Secondary Certificate exams based on the Palestinian national curriculum, which has been prohibited by the IPS.
The center said prisoners also made a number of personal demands relating to each prison and detention center.
Center director, Rafaat Hamdouna, said the IPS had forced detainees into the hunger strike, "preferring hunger to servility." Hamdouna added that prisoners experience rights violations on a daily basis, including the lack of appropriate health care, depriving family visits, searching family members in a "humiliating way" during visits, among others.
Prisoners' committees, relatives prepare for Prisoners' Day
Prisoner societies and committees from both national and Islamic factions met in Gaza to discuss preparations for Prisoners' Day on 17 April.
Nash'at Al-Waheedy, committee spokesman, said a series of national events, supported by the prisoners' committee, will begin on 17 April, including a sit-in, erecting a solidarity tent, and a hunger strike at 8am in front of the International Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City.
Rafiq Hamduneh, committee coordinator, said detainees have demanded that during celebrations, only the Palestinian flag is to be raised rather than flags belonging to Palestinian factions.
Representing the Palestinian Arab Front committee, Ahmad Salameh called on all national, political, Muslim and released prisoners' factions to uphold an unwavering stance, amenable to the international community to promote global support for the cause of Palestinian prisoners, "their just demands, and their right to freedom." ... Full story
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