In a joint statement made by the official Prisoner Affairs Committee and the Prisoners’ Association in Palestine, it was stated that “an agreement has been reached on the suspension of the hunger strike step after the cessation of punitive practices and arbitrary measures against prisoners”.
In the statement, it was noted that the Prisoner Movement Emergency High Committee, which represents Palestinian detainees, will provide detailed information on the subject.
Head of the Palestinian Prisoners League, Kaddura Faris, stated that the Prisoners Movement administration reached an agreement tonight after meeting with a delegation of representatives of the Israeli army, the domestic intelligence agency Shabak, representatives from the Israeli Prisons Administration and the Office of the National Security Advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister.
Kaddura said that the Prisoners Movement showed unity, perseverance and determination, that they had the opportunity to protect the gains they had achieved and that they were protected from all the dangers that had threatened them recently.
Stating that the agreement is about fixing many problems and preserving the results they have achieved, Kaddura noted that these include “regular phone use, the release of some prisoners from solitary confinement, the use of certain electrical appliances in Ofer prison”.
Also, Kaddura added that it was agreed that future decisions on prisoners’ action should be taken by the Israeli government’s diminutive cabinet, not by the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir. Kaddura underlined that “the prisoners will certainly not be hostages according to Ben Gvir’s reactions and whims”.
Getting ready to go on hunger strike in Ramadan
The Prisoner Movement’s Emergency High Committee, which represents Palestinian detainees, announced on March 19 that Palestinian detainees would start a hunger strike in Ramadan against the oppressive practices in Israeli prisons.
The statement called on all parties and groups, as well as civil and official institutions, to support the detainees who will go on hunger strike.
The Prisoner Movement’s Emergency High Committee announced yesterday that the leaders of the committee had started an indefinite hunger strike because the actions did not yield the desired result.
There are approximately 4,700 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including 29 women and 150 children.