Hunger strike stand-off mounts
Palestinian political prisoners in Israel intensify demands
THE MILITARY wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, the Izzedeen Al Qassam Brigades, has warned Israel that unless it responds to the demands of Palestinian political prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails within 24 hours, it will “pay for each day it ignores the prisoners’ demands”.
According to the Palestinian news agency Ma’an, the spokesman for the Brigades, Abu Obeida, released a video-recorded speech on Tuesday saying Hamas would demand the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners in a prisoner exchange for each day Israel refuses the demands of the hunger strikers.
Hamas has the remains of several Israeli soldiers and has threatened to capture more. More than 1 600 Palestinian hunger strikers had not eaten for 17 days demanding improved prison conditions for the prisoners including more family visits, the end of detention without trial, medical negligence and solitary confinement, among other demands.
“The treatment of prisoners, many of whom can be classified as prisoners of war, is in contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention and international law,” said Tahseen Alayyan from the Palestinian human rights organisation Al Haq in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank.
The Israeli Prison Services has responded, saying it does not negotiate with prisoners and has launched punitive measures in an attempt to break the spirit of the hunger strikers.
“Many of the hunger strikers have been put into isolation, had their Qur’ans confiscated, stopped from praying and denied access to lawyers,” Alayyan said yesterday.
“Their cells have been raided and some have been beaten.”
Although the hunger strike was launched by Marwan Barghouti, from the Fatah organisation affiliated with the Palestinian Authority and serving multiple life sentences, there is broad support for the strike from across the Palestinian political spectrum.
Hunger striker Samer Issawi, from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, further warned prisoners from the group would start refusing water on Sunday.
Issawi made international headlines for his partial hunger strike lasting months in 2012 and 2013, forcing the prison authorities to negotiate his release.