Palestinian Prisoners' Hunger Strike in Israeli Prisons Ends

Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli prisons ended their 40-day hunger strike early Saturday, June 6, after some of their demands were accepted. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners had been on hunger strike since 'Palestinian Prisoners' Day' six weeks ago, with dozens of them recently experiencing deteriorating health. According to Israeli and Palestinian media, the hunger strike ended after the Israel Prison Service accepted some of the demands of the strike leaders. The demands of the striking prisoners, in a movement they called 'the battle for freedom and dignity,' included recognition as 'prisoners of war,' an end to 'administrative detention,' an end to solitary confinement, more family visits, better medical services, and transfer to prisons located within Israeli territory. The spokesperson for 'Shabas,' the Israel Prison Service, and the spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoners and Detainees Committee confirmed the end of the hunger strike. Meanwhile, according to the Ynet news website, the Israel Prison Service announced that only a few of the prisoners' demands were accepted, including one additional family visit per month. The request for Palestinian prisoners to have mobile phones or cable televisions in their cells was rejected, but they can use regular radio and television. The Palestinian Authority and the Red Cross were informed of the agreements reached between Israel and the representatives of the prisoners' committee. Reports indicate that intensive negotiations took place from Thursday evening between the commanders of the Israel Prison Service and the country's security agencies with representatives of the Palestinian prisoners' committee, attended by officials from the Palestinian Authority and the International Red Cross, which led to an agreement at 4 AM on Saturday. Qadura Fares and Issa Qaraqe, senior Palestinian officials who have themselves been Israeli prisoners in the past, participated in these negotiations. The end of the hunger strike coincided with the beginning of Ramadan. Last Tuesday, during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, in Bethlehem in the West Bank, families of some of these prisoners protested, but their gathering was far from the route of the U.S. President's motorcade. According to Ynet, there are 6,200 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, but a maximum of 1,300 of them joined the strike; some ended their strike, and by early Saturday, June 6, 830 remained on strike, mostly from Fatah prisoners. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported in recent days that Israeli prison officials had transferred dozens of strikers in critical condition to several hospitals in Israel. Red Cross representatives, who had the opportunity to visit the striking prisoners in prison or hospitals, confirmed in recent days the dangerous condition of some of them. During this hunger strike, Marwan Barghouti was mentioned as the leader of the strikers, and Israeli and Palestinian media say that despite his poor health, he personally participated in the negotiations to end the strike. Barghouti, a figure close to Yasser Arafat, the former leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was the commander of the youth forces of the military branch of Fatah, who was sentenced to five life terms for the murder of Israelis during the Intifada. Armed Palestinian organizations have, in the past, resorted to kidnapping Israeli soldiers and citizens to force Israel to release their prisoners. Hamas, in 2011, forced Israel to release 1,027 prisoners by handing over Gilad Shalit, a soldier held captive for five years. Hamas leaders have threatened that kidnapping Israelis to free Palestinian prisoners is always an option.