Hundreds of Palestinian detainees began a sit-in protest in Israeli prison courtyards on Thursday, The New Arab reported.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC) said this was part of “disobedience and rebellion” actions being taken against prison rules under the slogan “united in the face of the jailer”.
The prisoners also decided to take steps to dissolve the bodies that represent Palestinian detainees beginning on Sunday, The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister service, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported.
The National Palestinian Prisoners' Movement announced that prisoners in Israeli jails will embark on an open-ended hunger strike, starting 1 September, in protest against the arbitrary measures taken by the Israeli prison administration against them. pic.twitter.com/iDRk8g0xsv
— V PALESTINE 🇵🇸 (@V_Palestine20) August 24, 2022
This would force Israeli prison authorities to deal with them as individuals, the PPC said in a statement.
Detainees are fighting to reverse measures taken by Israel after the Gilboa jailbreak, which in September 2021 saw six Palestinian detainees escape from a maximum-security Israeli prison.
All escapees were eventually recaptured.
The measures taken by Israeli jail authorities “included the constant transfer of prisoners between prison facilities and repeated solitary confinement”, PPC spokesperson Amani Sarahneh previously told The New Arab.
Detainees called off a planned hunger strike in March when Israeli authorities initially agreed to their demands.
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are preparing for new protest actions, including a possible mass hunger strike after the Israeli authorities broke an agreement made last March with the prisoners. pic.twitter.com/6do3ImMNSa
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) August 17, 2022
The Supreme Emergency Committee for Prisoners, which is made up of all Palestinian factions, urged the Palestinians on Friday to intensify advocacy and solidarity efforts on behalf of prisoners.
In a statement, it called for sermons delivered during Friday prayers to be dedicated to talking about prisoners and for Palestinians to protest at Israeli checkpoints throughout all Palestine.
There are currently 4,450 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, according to Addameer. Hundreds of them are held in administrative detention without charge or trial.
(The New Arab, PC, SOCIAL)
