Palestinian prisoners launch mass hunger strike

Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike on Monday after a call from prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, a movement that could mark a serious challenge to Israeli authorities if sustained.

The hunger strike was called in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, observed annually, but also ahead of commemorations this summer marking 50 years since the 1967 Six Day War and the start of the occupation by Israel.

Hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners occur regularly, but rarely on such a large scale. A series of protests were also being held in Palestinian cities in connection with prisoners day.

Barghouti’s call for the strike has given it added credibility, with him serving five life sentences over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada.

He is a popular figure among Palestinians, with polls suggesting he could win the Palestinian presidency. Graffiti showing the iconic image of his cuffed hands raised above his head flashing a peace sign while being led away by Israeli authorities can be seen in the West Bank.

“Decades of experience have proved that Israel’s inhumane system of colonial and military occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation,” Barghouti wrote in a New York Times op-ed.

Issa Qaraqe, head of prisoner affairs for the Palestinian Authority, said “about 1,300 Palestinian prisoners” were participating in the hunger strike and the number could rise. The Palestinian Prisoners Club nongovernmental organisation put the number at 1,500.

Israeli prison service spokesman Assaf Librati said that about 1,100 detainees had announced their intention to begin a hunger strike.

“The prisons service has started taking disciplinary measures against the strikers and in addition, a number of prisoners have been transferred to separate wings,” he said. “It is to be emphasised that the [prison service] does not negotiate with prisoners.”

About 6,500 Palestinians are detained by Israel for a range of offences and alleged crimes.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s office called on Israel to respond to the prisoners’ demands for “freedom and dignity”.

Barghouti’s wife, Fadwa, said in Ramallah that the demands were in line with “international law and recognised as part of human rights”. The last largescale hunger strike was in February 2013, when 3,000 Palestinians refused to eat for one day to protest against the death of a fellow detainee.

Israel said it had to be vigilant to prevent fresh eruptions of violence, particularly after a wave of knife, gun and carramming attacks that erupted in October 2015. The violence has subsided recently.

While many Palestinians view Barghouti as a hero, Israelis point to the suicide attacks of the second intifada and his role in the uprising.

For Palestinians, the prisons have become a stark symbol of Israel’s occupation. Those on hunger strike have issued a list of demands including access to phones, extended visiting rights and better medical service.

Israeli public radio reported that Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan had ordered intervention units to be put on standby.