Fuad Al Khoffash, Head of the Ahrar Center for Detainee Studies, stated that the Israeli Prison Administration started a new method of what he called “cheap bargaining” this week by offering to release detainees who have served two-thirds of their prison sentence in return for ending their hunger-strike.The Palestine News Network quoted Al-Khoffash as saying that the Prison Administration is trying to foil the hunger-strike by offering such schemes to lure the detainees away from the main struggle and the main demands of ending illegal administrative detention policies, ending all violations, allowing visits to families of Gaza Strip detainees, and ending solitary confinement polices.
Al-Khoffash stated that every detainee who has served two-thirds of his prison term is anyway sent to a military court who looks into his file before making a final decision on release. But the vast majority of these detainees are not released. The courts use different pretexts for these refusals including use of so-called “secret files”.
Furthermore, Al-Khuffash said that Israel is using this move as a ploy to end the strike by breaking the determination and unity of the detainees. He said that “the detainees are choosing dignity over food”, and “will not accept being manipulated by the Israeli authorities”.
The Palestinian detainees said in several statements that they will remain steadfast until their legitimate demands are met in accordance with International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory.
