7 Palestinian hunger-striking prisoners suffer in Israeli jails

Occupied Palestine (QNN)- 7 Palestinian prisoners remain in an open hunger strike in protest of their unfair administrative detention in Israeli jails without a charge or trial.

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and ex-Detainees’ Affairs said on Thursday that 7 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails continue their hunger strike and their health condition is deteriorating, as they have been suffering from powerful fatigue, exhaustion, headache, weight loss and more.

The longest hunger-striker was 40-year-old Salem Ziadat who had been on hunger strike for 43 days, and on June 23, he broke his hunger strike after reaching an agreement with the Israeli occupation authorities to release him on November 25.

Mujahed Hamed is now the longest hunger-striker as he has been on hunger strike for 44 days and Kayed Fasfous follows him with 43 days of hunger strike.

The Commission said that the health condition of Kayed Fasfous is seriously deteriorating as he was transferred to an Israeli hospital. He has been suffering from headache, powerful fatigue, exhaustion, difficulty in walking, foot cramps, and weight loss (he was 95 kilograms and became 30).

Ahmad Hamamra’s health condition has also been deteriorating as he has been on a hunger strike for 27 days. He suffers from health problems in the colon and the stomach, and he lost 17 kilograms of his weight.

Akram Fasfous broke his hunger strike today after 22 days, after reaching an agreement with the Israeli occupation authorities to release him on December 14.

The 7 hunger-striking prisoners are:

Ahmad Hamamra (27 days of hunger strike)
Kayed Fasfous (43 days of hunger strike)
Alaa Al-A’raj (16 days of hunger strike)
Mujahed Hamed (44 days of hunger strike)
Miqdad al-Kawasma (36 days of hunger strike)
Hisham abu Hawash (10 days of hunger strike)
Omar al-Jabari (9 days of hunger strike)

Around 40 Palestinian detainees started hunger strike since the start of 2021, in protest against Israel’s detention without a charge or trial.

Administrative detention is illegal under international law, however, the occupation state uses it to repress the Palestinian people.

‘Israel’ routinely uses administrative detention and has, over the years, placed thousands of Palestinians behind bars for periods ranging from several months to several years, without charging them, without telling them what they are accused of, and without disclosing the alleged evidence to them or to their lawyers.

Thus, the hunger strike is a method of a non-violent resistance which the prisoners use to protect their lives and their fundamental rights and a response to the occupation racist policies which they face in the prisons.

There are 4,850 Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails, among the prisoners are 540 administrative detainees held without charge or trial, 225 child prisoners and 41 female prisoners.

In June only, 615 Palestinians, including 92 minors and 24 women, were detained by Israeli occupation, while 100 administrative detention orders were issued.

In 2020 only, the Israeli occupation forces arrested 4,634 Palestinians, among them 543 children and 128 women, in addition to issuing 1,114 administrative detention orders.

By the end of March 2021, the number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees reached 4,450, including 37 women, 140 children, and 440 administrative detainees.

By the end of May 2021, the number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails reached 4,277 Palestinians, including 435 administrative detainees.