Palestinian Islamic Jihad prisoners announce hunger strike
Most of the 400 prisoners belonging to Islamic Jihad have begun their hunger strike against Israel’s punitive measures.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement has announced the start of a mass hunger strike by its prisoners held in Israeli jails, in refusal of the punitive measures imposed on them following the escape of six Palestinians from Gilboa prison last month.
Palestinian prisoners are divided into cells according to their political affiliation.
Most of the prisoners who belong to the Islamic Jihad, who number about 400, will participate in the strike, with the support of all other factions, that started on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Palestinian Prisoners Club, the hunger strike is part of “the resistance programme announced recently by the prisoners’ National Emergency Committee, which was based mainly on rebellion and rejection of prison administration laws”.
The statement said the Islamic Jihad prisoners delivered a letter to the Israeli prison administration on Tuesday, stating their demands, as well as informing them of their decision to go on a hunger strike.
There are about 4,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 35 women and 200 children.
