Palestinians say 500 prisoners in Israeli jails to start hunger strike
A senior Palestinian official said prisoners are working to pressure Israel to end its policy of administrative detention.
By YAMI ROTH / MAARIV, YASSER OKBI/MAARIVA Palestinian prisoner, convicted of security offences against Israel, looks out of his cell at Nitzan jail(photo credit: REUTERS/NIR ELIAS)
Approximately 500 Palestinians held in administrative detention in Israel are expected to go on hunger strike next week.Palestinian Authority Prisoner Affairs Minister Issa Karaka told "Palestine Voice" radio station on Thursday that the hunger strike will take place in an organized and gradual manner, and will constitute an escalation in the ongoing administrative detainees' protest which has so far involved boycotting Israeli courts.Karaka said that prisoners are working to pressure Israel to end its policy of administrative detention, with Palestinian prisoners recently warning Israel of possible protests.Earlier this month, an Israeli guard working at Eshel Prison was hospitalized after a Hamas prisoner poured boiling water from a kettle over him. During an inspection of the prisoner's cell, the perpetrator managed to boil water in an electric kettle and subsequently poured its contents over the guard's face and neck.The prisoner, who is a resident of East Jerusalem and sentenced in 2014 to 30 years imprisonment for attempted murder, was arrested and dealt with by prison authorities.
