Palestinian prisoners rearrested this year, after being released in the 2011 Shalit swap deal, have announced that they would go on hunger strike this Tuesday, in order to pressure the Palestinian delegation in Cairo to negotiate with Israel for their release.According to Ma’an, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said, Monday, that the strike will be observed by 63 prisoners who were among the group freed by Israel under the terms of a 2011 arrangement.
1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released under this Egyptian-brokered deal between Hamas and the Israeli government, for the return of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli sports columnist and a former Israeli soldier.
PPS head, Qaddura Fares, called on the delegation to ‘hold onto the principle of releasing these prisoners especially since they have begun considering an open hunger strike in protest of their rearrest.’
The strike is meant to coincide with the resumption of indirect truce talks in Cairo, aimed at following up on the terms of a ceasefire deal which went into effect on August 26, ending 50 days of devastating conflict within the coastal region.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators had both agreed to resume talks within a month of that date to discuss the terms, including the possibility of a new swap arrangement, though Israel has been reluctant to return to the negotiating table.
Related: 26 Post-ceasefire Violations Documented by Canadian-based Think Tank
Negotiations are not expected to last more than a day, as the Jewish New Year holiday begins at sundown on Wednesday, according to M’an, and it is not clear how long the planned hunger strike will last.
More than 7,000 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli jails.
See also: UN Rights Council: International Campaign to Release Palestinian Ex-detainees Forthcoming
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