Palestinian prisoners preparing to go on hunger strike today

Barring any last-minute development, some Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons will begin a hunger strike on Sunday.

Israel Prison Service (IPS) officials and representatives of the prisoners held meetings in the past 48 hours in an attempt to prevent the planned hunger strike. The negotiations between the two sides are expected to continue until late Saturday.

The inmates are demanding the removal of signal-jamming devices that prevent them from using cellular phones, lifting sanctions placed on some prisoners following the stabbing of two prison guards last month by Hamas prisoners, and the resumption of family visits.

Following the stabbing of two guards at Ketziot Prison in the Negev, the IPS imposed restrictions on dozens of prisoners for their reported involvement in the incident and a subsequent riot that erupted in the prison.

On Friday, unconfirmed reports said that the IPS and the prisoners were close to reaching an agreement to avert the hunger strike.

However, the Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies denied the reports and said that the inmates were preparing to launch their hunger strike on Sunday morning.

Riad Ashkar, the spokesman for the center, said that the negotiations between the prisoners and the Israeli authorities were unsuccessful. He claimed that the IPS has offered to install public phones in the prisons which the prisoners would be permitted to use under the supervision of the authorities.

According to the spokesman, the IPS told the prisoners that their demands would be discussed after Tuesday’s general elections. The prisoners, he said, don’t trust the authorities’ promises and insist on all their demands, in particular, the removal of the jamming devices.

Ashkar described the reports about a possible agreement between the prisoners and the authorities as “rumors” and “lies” designed to “alleviate the state of tension and frustrate the growing solidarity with the prisoners.”

In the first stage of the hunger strike, the leaders of the prisoners will refuse food, he explained. A week later, they will be joined by other prisoners who will refuse food and

water. “These escalating steps will continue and develop into a comprehensive hunger strike on April 17, the anniversary of Palestinian Prisoner’s Day,” Ashkar added. Palestinians mark Palestinian Prisoner’s Day each year with rallies and demonstrations in solidarity with the inmates.

Kadri Abu Bakr, head of the Commission for Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Detainees, on Sunday warned that unless the Israeli authorities accept their demands, the prisoners will declare a hunger strike on Sunday.

Abu Bakr predicted that the Israeli authorities would give their response to the demands by late Saturday.

He claimed that the signal-jamming devices were harmful to the prisoners’ health. He also complained that the prisoners were being denied watching television and listening to radio. The prisoners, he said, are also demanding the right to use public phones to stay in touch with their families and the lifting of sanctions imposed on many of them after the stabbing of the two prison guards. •