CAIRO: Recent reports in both Egyptian and Israeli media indicate that some seven Egyptian prisoners incarcerated in the Israeli Al Naqab (Negev) prison have embarked on a hunger strike. According to Egyptian newspaper reports that came out Thursday, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit instructed the Egyptian Embassy in Israel to follow up on the matter and send a representative from the Consulate to check up on the prisoners. This directive was confirmed to The Daily Star Egypt by the Foreign Ministry. However, it seems this incident is over a month old and that an official from the Egyptian Embassy did in fact visit the prisoners in question on Nov. 11 according to independent news agency, the Palestine News Network. The Palestine News Network had reported that the Egyptian Consul at the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv had visited the seven prisoners who had by then been on a hunger strike for 13 days. According to the report, the Consul informed the prisoners that Egyptian authorities were in contact with their Israeli counterparts to secure their release. The seven Egyptians were imprisoned without trial after crossing the Israeli border to search for work according to the report. They are currently protesting their detention without cause or trial. Abul Gheit is likely to visit Israel next week.
