The head of the Palestinian Commission for Detainees’ Affairs, Qadri Abu Bakr, has reported that 120 detainees, held by Israel, have declared a hunger strike two days ago, and added that hundreds of detainees intend to join the strike, after the Israeli Prison Authority denied their basic demands.
Abu Bakr said the 120 detainees, who started the hunger strike in Ramon and the Negev Israeli prison two days ago, aren’t even drinking water.
He added that the talks with the Israeli Prison Authority have failed, as it is refusing to remove dozens of detainees from solitary confinement, in addition to refusing to remove signal jammers, refraining from providing an answer to the demands regarding installing public phones, and continues to deny Gaza Strip detainees the right to family visits.
The detainees are complaining that the signal jammers are making them sick, as more detainees started facing health issues after their installation.
Hundreds of detainees intend to gradually join what is now dubbed as dignity strike 2, in the few coming days, in all prisons and detention centers; they are also demanding adequate medical treatment, better living conditions, and an end to ongoing violations against them.
It is worth mentioning that dozens of detainees were forced into solitary confinement since last month, after the army claimed that some detainees stabbed two soldiers while they were searching them and their belongings.
Israeli sources said the prison authority has increased the alert and readiness levels in all prisons, especially after Israel’s Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan refused the demands, mainly those regarding removing the jammers.
Some of the measures that Israel usually takes against the striking detainees include forcing them in solitary confinement and transferring them to various prisons.
