Hunger-striking security prisoners at Shikma prison in Ashkelon began drinking milk and juice, in exchange, according to prisoners, for promises by the Prisons Service to meet some of their demands.
However, Prisons Service officials denied that negotiations were conducted or that an agreement had been reached.
“Shikma Prison’s 350 security prisoners stopped their strike on Friday with no prior conditions being met.†Prisons service official said.
In a phone talk with Israeli newspaper Haaretz correspondent, a prisoners in Shikma prison confirmed that the prison authorities promised to cease nude body searches, improve the food and give prisoners more yard time, but demands to remove the glass partition between prisoners and visitors and use of a pay phone were rejected.
Prisoners in Shikma also said that their radios and televisions had been returned to them, and they were allowed into the exercise yard on Saturday.
Prisoners described the agreement as informal, sating those official negotiations between prisoners and the authorities will begin Monday, after which prisoners will be allowed to make phone calls to fasting prisoners in other jails.
Meanwhile, the Hunger Strike leadership in all prisons issued a statement confirming that the strike will continue and be escalated, describing the Shikma prisoners’ decision to suspend their strike as unilateral and temporary.
Palestinian Legislator and Fatah West bank leader Marwan Bargouthi denied, from inside his solitary confinement, Israeli allegations that he was not on a hunger strike.
Bargouthi said that he joined the strike from the early beginnings and praised prisoners for their courageous step.
Solidarity with prisoners continued in all parts of the Palestinian territories. Residents of various Palestinian cities and towns started joining the prisoners hunger strike at the erected prisoners solidarity tents.
The International solidarity movement called all of its activists in Palestine and in different world countries to join the hunger strike, starting Monday, and organize protests near Israeli embassies, Parliaments, or governmental institutes.
On Saturday dozens of Palestinian citizens of Israel together with Jewish peace activists demonstrated near Hadarim prison in solidarity with striking prisoners.
