News / Palestine

46 Palestinians on hunger strike in Israeli jail

Friday, 04 March 2016 3:13 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 04 March 2016 3:11 PM ]

This file photo shows blindfolded Palestinian prisoners in an Israeli detention facility.

Palestinian inmates are on a hunger strike at an Israeli prison in protest against mistreatment and poor conditions at the detention facility, the Prisoners and Former Prisoners’ Affairs Committee says.

The committee announced that 46 Palestinians at Etzion Prison, located south of the occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem), have stopped eating their food portions since Thursday in protest against being “constantly humiliated, assaulted and beaten” during interrogations, and “inhumane” conditions at the jail.

The committee said the prisoners are also angry over the quality and quantity of food served to them, filthy living spaces, inadequate medical treatment and lack of regular access to showers. Some inmates said they have not got to take a shower in the past 15 days.

Late last month, Etzion was flooded following days of heavy rainfall. The flooding left everything drenched, mainly the prisoners' clothes and blankets.

Cold and wet conditions led to illness and infections among the detainees that were neglected by prison officials.

There are reportedly more than 6,500 Palestinians held at Israeli jails. Hundreds of the inmates have been apparently incarcerated under the practice of administrative detention, which is a policy under which Palestinian inmates are kept in Israeli detention facilities without trial or charge.

Some Palestinian prisoners have been held in administrative detention for up to eight, ten and eleven years.

The Palestinian inmates regularly hold hunger strikes in protest at both the administrative detention policy and harsh prison conditions.

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