RAMALLAH: Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs Issa Qaraqe stated that Palestinian prisoners in Israeli military prisons may launch a mass hunger strike, Ma'an News Agency reports. According to Qaraqe, prisoners intend to launch a mass hunger strike this coming April if there is not a sufficient improvement in their living conditions while in detention. Many are skeptical of the Palestinian Authority's (PA) commitment to the plight of prisoners. Last Sunday, demonstrators in Al-Amari refugee camp near Ramallah staged a protest in solidarity with prisoners from the camp. PA police came and clashes broke out, and three demonstrators were eventually transferred to a nearby hospital after being shot with live rounds. “They attacked us just like the Israelis did during the First Intifada," one resident of the camp told BikyaNews.com. In recent years, hunger striking has proved to be an effective strategy on the part of the Palestinian prisoners. In early 2012, administrative detainee and Islamic Jihad activist Khader Adnan captured international attention when he launched a 66-day hunger strike that brought him near death. Israeli Prison Services (IPS) were eventually coerced into negotiating his release. Following immediately afterwards, another administrative detainee, Hana Shalabi, who was also accused of involvement in Islamic Jihad, went 43 days without food before she was released into the Gaza Strip for three years before she can return to her West Bank village. In April 2012, some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners executed a mass hunger strike that won them several concessions from IPS. Among these concessions were an end to solitary confinement, family visits for Gazan prisoners, and a halt to extending administrative detentions. Israel has reneged on most of their end of the bargain, Addameer Prisoner Support Network said in an interview with BikyaNews.com in December. As of December 2012, there were 4,656 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, 177 of which were children and another 17 who are members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. There are already four prisoners on hunger strike: Jazzer Ezzedine, Yousef Yassin, Tarek Qa'adan, and Samer Al-Issawi (who is on a partial hunger strike). According to Addameer, the health of each of the hunger strikers is quickly waning. BN
