The Palestinian Center for Defending the Detainees (PCDD) issued a press release stating that, contrary to certain media reports, no agreement has been reached between the hunger-striking Palestinian detainees and the Israeli Prison Administration.The PCCD reported that “some agencies, possibly with good intentions in mind, are trying to announce that an agreement was reached between the detainees and the Prison Administration”, adding that these news reports are inaccurate.
The PCCD further reported that reports claiming that detainees Mahmoud Issa, and Waleed Khaled were removed from solitary confinement are not true, confirming that the two detainees are still isolated in their tiny cells.
The center said that the only party that is authorized to speak on behalf of the detainees is the detained leadership on the hunger strike, adding that other parties and groups that make affirmative announcements, not based on official statements by the strike leadership, could be, even unintentionally, harming the detainees, their cause and their legitimate struggle.
The PCCD, along with several other organizations, recently held Israel fully responsible for the potential death of any hunger-striking detainee, including sick detainees who recently announced they might resort to refraining from talking their medications.
Several days ago, two Israeli committees (the Prison Administration and the Israeli Shabak) met with the strike leadership committee, and asked detainees held at the Nafha prison to refrain from any escalation of their strike.
The detainees said that before talks on the issue can be held, Israel must put a specific timeframe for ending the solitary confinement of the top ten detainees who have been in in solitary confinement for a long period (including several years); the administration said it would respond later on.
The Shabak and the Prison Administration hinted that they approve of some of the demands, including improving the living conditions of the detainees, but the detainees said that partial offers are not acceptable, affirming that they want their full rights guaranteed by international law.
Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel are demanding an end to solitary confinement policies, and end to administrative detention policies, allowing visitations to Gaza Strip detainees, reinstating the detainee’s right to education, an end to humiliation and strip search polices against their families before visitation, and several other legitimate demands that are coherent with International law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
