The Palestinian Detainees Committee has reported that 1380 political prisoners in Israeli prisons will begin an open-ended hunger strike this coming Friday, in protest of escalating Israeli violations against them in various prisons and detention centers.
The Committee stated that the serious Israeli escalation against the Palestinian political prisoners comes not only as a result of decisions by prison officials but also by the Israeli political leaders after six detainees managed to escape from Gilboa Israeli prison before four of them were captured later.
The detainees will start the hunger strike on several phases; first 1380 in various prisons; 400 in Ramon prison, 300 in Ofer, 200 in Nafha, 200 in Megiddo, 100 in Gilboa’, 80 in Eshil, 50 in Shatta, and 50 in Hadarim.
The committee also stated that, due to the serious Israeli escalation against them, more detainees will also be joining the strike on September 21st, among them 100 senior detained political leaders, including Marwan Barghouthi and Karim Younis.
The Committee added that the detainees are demanding Israel to end its violations against them, to end the solitary confinement policies, in addition to ending the arbitrary Administrative Detention policies, holding hundreds of detainees captive without charges or trial.
They are also demanding the resumption of visits with the families, especially the families of detainees from the Gaza Strip, in addition to installing public phones, the resumption of the entry of fruits, vegetables, and meat into the prisons, and allowing their families to bring them clothes.
The Committee voiced an appeal to all legal and human rights groups to intervene and oblige Israel to end its serious violations against the detainees, including torture, extended solitary confinement, Administrative Detention policies, and physical assaults by the prison guards.
