Palestinian prisoners enter Day 2 of hunger strike

Some 1,200 Palestinian security prisoners entered their second day of a hunger strike on Wednesday.

Prison authorities have stopped serving the convicted terrorists food, a source from the agency confirmed.

Asked whether staff were prepared to deal with a long-term hunger strike, the source answered in the affirmative, noting that it would take “two to three weeks of hunger strike” to reach a stage in which medical intervention was required.

“If there’s a need, we can do that, even on a large scale,” the source said. The prisoners were all drinking water. The hunger strike has not been accompanied by any unusual or violent disturbances.

The security prisoners announced the start of a hunger strike on Tuesday to mark the Palestinian Authority’s “Prisoner Day.”

A further 1,100 prisoners returned their daily meals on Tuesday, but went back to eating food on Wednesday.

The 1,200 hunger strikers join seven additional hunger strikers, most of whom are being monitored at a medical clinic in Ramle.