The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said on Sunday that Israel Prison Service (IPS) forces raided section 5 of Israel’s Ramon prison, and imposed a total closure on the section, which holds exclusively prisoners affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The IPS added in a statement that its actions are part of its collective punishment on PFLP prisoners across all Israeli prisons, in response to their support of Bilal Kayid, who has been on a hunger strike since June 14 in protest of his administrative detention order.

Kayid, a member of the PFLP, has been on a hunger strike protesting against being placed in administrative detention by Israel on the day he was scheduled to be released after serving more than 14 years in prison.

https://twitter.com/Mohib_GM/status/754713753829183488

Several Palestinian prisoners began hunger strikes in solidarity with him, following which Israel’s prison authorities cracked down on PFLP prisoners by raiding their prison cells, transferring several prisoners, including Kayid, in order to disrupt the protest, placing several others in solitary confinement, and confiscating electronic devices.

According to Addameer, the prisoner rights group representing Kayid, an appeal was sent to the IPS last week  requesting Kayid’s immediate release, and is expected to receive a response from the courts in the coming days.

PFLP prisoners start 3-day hunger strike in solidarity with Bilal Kayid https://t.co/AAYHC8jQ1r #palestine

— Ma'an News Agency (@MaanNewsAgency) July 1, 2016

Rights groups have claimed that Israel’s administrative detention policy has been used as an attempt to disrupt Palestinian political processes, notably targeting Palestinian politicians, activists, and journalists.

Israel considers the majority of Palestinian political parties to be “terrorist organizations.”

(PC, MA’AN)