Hunger striking Palestinian prisoner denied treatment

Israeli authorities have refused to provide treatment to a Palestinian hunger striking prisoner, who is suffering from a chronic brain disease.

On Sunday, an unnamed lawyer with the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said in a statement that the Israeli Prison Service had denied Bilal Dawoud, 26, treatment.

Held in custody since February, Dawoud began his hunger strike on August 24 in protest against his so-called administrative detention.

The statement added that six other Palestinians are also on open-ended hunger strike.

According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, there are currently some 400 Palestinians in Israeli prisons under Tel Aviv’s controversial policy of administrative detention, which allows the imprisonment of Palestinians without charge or trial for an indefinite amount of time.

Addameer says Palestinian prisoners “are often prescribed painkillers without thorough medical follow-up” and that it sometimes takes weeks or months before they are transferred to hospitals.

Last month, the administrative detention of Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Allan was suspended after 65 days of a hunger strike nearly claimed his life.

Over 7,000 Palestinians are reportedly incarcerated in 17 Israeli prisons and detention centers, many of them without charge or trial or access to lawyers.

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