Madbouly, Rousseff highlight Egypt's urban development success at NDB Forum    Egypt hosts first New Development Bank international forum in New Administrative Capital    ECB needs to keep economy in check – Lane    Vietnam plans to ease gold import rules    Asian stocks mixed as Europe worries rise    New Zealand excludes farming from carbon pricing plan    EGP 44bn designated for domestic wheat purchases from farmers: Finance Minister    Attal Properties unveils 'The 101' project in Mostakbal City with EGP 25bn investment    Egypt، South Africa strengthen ties, discuss regional challenges at BRICS Meeting    BRICS proceeds with national currency payment system    Turkey fines Google $14.85m over hotel searches    Sudan: El Fasher's South Hospital out of service after RSF attack    Egypt supports development of continental dialogue platform for innovative health sector financing in Africa: Finance Minister    Egypt's Labour Minister concludes ILO Conference with meeting with Director-General    Egypt's largest puzzle assembled by 80 children at Al-Nas Hospital    BRICS Skate Cup: Skateboarders from Egypt, 22 nations gather in Russia    Pharaohs Edge Out Burkina Faso in World Cup qualifiers Thriller    Egypt's EDA, Zambia sign collaboration pact    Madinaty Sports Club hosts successful 4th Qadya MMA Championship    Amwal Al Ghad Awards 2024 announces Entrepreneurs of the Year    Egyptian President asks Madbouly to form new government, outlines priorities    Egypt's President assigns Madbouly to form new government    Egypt and Tanzania discuss water cooperation    Grand Egyptian Museum opening: Madbouly reviews final preparations    Madinaty's inaugural Skydiving event boosts sports tourism appeal    Tunisia's President Saied reshuffles cabinet amidst political tension    Instagram Celebrates African Women in 'Made by Africa, Loved by the World' 2024 Campaign    Egypt to build 58 hospitals by '25    Swiss freeze on Russian assets dwindles to $6.36b in '23    Egyptian public, private sectors off on Apr 25 marking Sinai Liberation    Debt swaps could unlock $100b for climate action    Financial literacy becomes extremely important – EGX official    Euro area annual inflation up to 2.9% – Eurostat    BYD، Brazil's Sigma Lithium JV likely    UNESCO celebrates World Arabic Language Day    Motaz Azaiza mural in Manchester tribute to Palestinian journalists    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Palestinian prisoners to launch another mass hunger strike on Tuesday
Published in Bikya Masr on 03 - 12 - 2012

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Authority minister of prisoner affairs announced that prisoners in Israeli military prisons plan to launch a mass one-day hunger strike on Tuesday, Ma'an News Agency reported. The strike is being conducted in solidarity with three hunger strikers whose health conditions are rapidly deteriorating.
Ayman Shawarna, who has been on hunger strike for 156 days, ingesting only water, stated last week he is ready to “intensify" his hunger strike, according to Ma'an News Agency. He is presently being held in a military clinic, shackled to his hospital bed for the vast majority of the day. Due to health conditions as a result of his strike, he cannot sleep and has lost over 90 percent of his vision in his right eye.
Samer Issawi, another hunger striker who on Tuesday hit 125 days, also stopped accepting water on November 21. He is fainting regularly, monitors report, and has sustained several injuries. Issawi's health has quickly declined, and his weight has fallen to a mere 46 kilograms. On top of startlingly low blood pressure, a report says, he has lost the use of his right hand and right leg.
Both of these prisoners, released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner swap that brought home 1,027 Palestinians, are imprisoned in administrative detention without charge.
A third administrative detainee, Oday Keilani, joined the hunger strikers and has not taken food for 43 days. He is reportedly suffering from pain in various parts of his body. His sentence was extended for an additional four months and his lawyers are continually denied access to his case, which Israeli prison services say contains “secret information," reported Ma'an.
Last Tuesday Palestinian prisoners from across the entire political spectrum launched a one-day hunger strike in solidarity with Issawi and Shawarna. Ahrar, a prisoner rights organization in Gaza, estimates that thousands of prisoners participated.
The PA ministry of prisoner affairs also stated on Monday that “the situation in prisons will explode if anything bad happens to [the hunger strikers]."
Ahrar, a Gaza-based prisoners' rights association, recently said it holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for the indifference of the media and the international community towards the plight of imprisoned Palestinians, suggesting that the government has not done enough to raise public awareness.
Four more men from Jenin launched full hunger strikes after Israeli military forces detained dozens in a sweeping arrest campaign across the occupied West Bank last week. They are being held in administrative detention.
At least one of the prisoners, Jafar Ezzudin, participated in a previous hunger strike.
Hunger strikes as a method of resistance
“Hunger strikes are pivotal for the struggle of Palestinian inmates," Karam, a recent computer science graduate from Zemer, told BikyaMasr.com.
He continued, “Because when you are deprived of your basic right to dignity, to life, this is the only way to fight the cruelty. None of us want them to starve, but we know that this is the only way to protest and get a little bit of media attention for those living under illegal occupation and behind bars."
“The prisoners will put our struggle in the spotlight, and it shows the world that the stereotype of Palestinians as terrorist is unjust. Here we have thousands of oppressed people fighting nonviolently—but the world isn't paying attention."
As recently as November this year, 4,520 Palestinians are in Israeli detention centers, 164 of which are children. 156 are in administrative detention, a draconian practice in which prisoners are not charged and “secret evidence" is used against them.
Last April Palestinian prisoners gained international notoriety when over 2,000 launched a mass hunger strike that forced Israeli Prison Services to cave into many of their demands.


Clic here to read the story from its source.