Starving for Freedom: 6 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails continue hunger strike

Occupied Palestine (QNN)- Despite of health deterioration, six Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails continue their open-ended hunger strike in protest of their unfair administrative detention without a charge or trial and to gain their freedom.

The six hunger-striking prisoners’ health condition has been deteriorating severely, as they have been suffering from powerful fatigue, exhaustion, headache, severe weight loss, and deficiency of fluids in the body.

One of them has partial loss of memory and Bacteremia, another has loss of sight and problems in his nervous system, and the other might die any moment.

The longest hunger-striker is Kayed Fasfous, as he has been on hunger strike for 113 days, lost over 40 kilograms of his weight, and suffers from pain all over his body.

Fasfous is currently held at Barzilai Hospital, and after freezing his administrative detention on October 14, the Israeli occupation authorities reactivated his detention on October 29.

Fasfous is followed by Miqdad Qawasmi, who has been on a hunger strike for 106 days.

Qawasmi’s health condition has been deteriorating severely as he lost over 40 kilograms of his weight; he weighed 78 kilograms, but now he’s 40 kilograms. He is held now in the Kaplan hospital.

Israel’s High Court has also frozen Qawasmi’s administrative detention.

Jawad Boulus, a lawyer with the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS), said on Thursday that Israeli military prosecutor said it might reactivate the administrative detention of Qawasmi, claiming that Qawasmi’s health condition has improved.

Israeli doctors in Kaplan hospital tried to coercively treat Qawasmi while he was tied to his bed in the ICU and break his hunger strike.

Three Israeli jailers are surrounding his room and deliberately eat in front of him. His right arm and left leg are shackled to his bed the whole time although he is facing the danger of sudden death, and has Bacteremia and problems in the heart, lungs, kidney, and liver.

The court’s order does not release Qawasmi or Fasfous from administrative detention – it simply freezes the order for the period of their treatment and observation.

The court’s decision also means that the administration of prisons and the Intelligence device are not responsible for their lives, and turning them into an unofficial prisoner held at the hospital, under the guardianship of the hospital’s security instead of the jailors.

But both Qawasmi and Fasfous said they will continue their strike until they gain freedom.

The 6 hunger-striking prisoners are:
•Kayed Fasfous (113 days of hunger strike)
•Alaa Al-A’raj (89 days of hunger strike)
•Miqdad Qawasmi (106 days of hunger strike)
•Hisham abu Hawash (80 days of hunger strike)
•Ayyad Harimi (43 days of hunger strike)
•Loay Alashqar (25 days of hunger strike)

Over 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 4,650 Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails, among the prisoners are 520 administrative detainees held without charge or trial, 200 child prisoners and 39 female prisoners.