Six Palestinian prisoners being held without charges in Israeli prisons have announced the continuation of their long-term hunger strikes until their demands are met — including one prisoner who has refused all food for 91 straight days, another who has been on strike for 81 days, and a third who has been on hunger strike for 74 days.
The hunger strike is meant to challenge the Israeli practice of “administrative detention”, which means holding Palestinian prisoners without charges for renewable six-month terms.
The hunger-striking prisoners are suffering from difficult health conditions that have reached the stage of danger to their lives, especially the one who has exceeded three months of strike.
The striking prisoners are: Ahmed Abdel Karim Ghannam (42 years), from Dura south of Hebron, who has been on hunger strike for 91 days in a row.
The prisoner Ismail Ahmed Ali (30 years) from the village of Abu Dis, east of occupied Jerusalem, has been on hunger strike for 81 days.
The leader of the Islamic Jihad movement Tariq Hussein Qadan (46 years) from the town of Araba south of Jenin, has been on hunger strike for 74 days.
In addition to these three prisoners, an additional three prisoners joined the hunger strike 19 days ago, and all three remain on hunger strike after 19 days.
Ahmed Zahran (42 years), from the town of Deir Abu Mashaal in the governorate of Ramallah, has been on strike for 19 days, Musab Tawfiq al-Hindi (28 years) from the village of Tal district of Nablus has been on hunger strike for 19 days, and the prisoner Heba Ahmed Abdel Baqi Al-Labadi (24 years), has also been on strike for 19 days.
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention are often subjected to harsh interrogation and conditions, and those under administrative detention are not given access to judges, courts or lawyers.
The protesting prisoners are challenging the conditions of their imprisonment, and the fact that they are being held without charges.
