Dozens of Palestinian security prisoners quit hunger strike - Itsik Saban

by Itsik Saban

Some 86 security prisoners announce they are ending hunger strike, joining 100 prisoners who quit strike over the past few days • Israel Prison Service sets up field hospital outside Ketziot Prison to avoid transporting prisoners to civilian hospitals.

Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti escorted to Jerusalem Magistrates' court [Archive] | Photo credit: Reuters

Some 86 Palestinian security prisoners, mostly Hamas terrorists jailed in Gilboa Prison in northern Israel, announced Saturday they were ending their hunger strike, joining 100 other prisoners who had already decided to end their strike over the past few days.

Last Sunday, over 1,000 security prisoners jailed in prisons across Israel, such as Megiddo, Ketziot, Shikma and Hadarim, declared they would be going on an "indefinite" hunger strike to protest the conditions of their confinement. The strikers demanded access to more television channels, more phone contact with relatives and more family visits, as well as better medical treatment and that disabled inmates or those suffering chronic illness be freed.

Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti led the hunger strike, urging mass protest in a New York Times op-ed. Barghouti was convicted in 2004 of five counts of murder, several counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and aiding and abetting terrorist activities, and he is serving five consecutive life terms and an additional 40 years.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan reiterated that the hunger strike was politically motivated and that the government would not negotiate with security prisoners.

The Israel Prison Service set up a field hospital outside Ketziot Prison to prevent transporting sick prisoners to civilian hospitals.

Itsik Saban

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=41949

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.