1,000 Palestinian prisoners to go on hunger strike Thursday
The movement assured that the strike goes hand in hand with dissolving regulatory bodies and refraining from undergoing security checks.
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Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons (Archive)
The Supreme National Emergency Committee of the National Captive Movement announced that 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will go on hunger strike on Thursday as part of an escalatory campaign against Israeli violent repression and the stripping of their most basic rights.
In a statement, the movement said, “we are fighting our battle united against the Israeli occupation’s prison system, backed by a national leadership, and armed with unity."
The movement assured that the strike, planned for Thursday, goes hand in hand with dissolving regulatory bodies, and refraining from undergoing security checks.
It also urged everyone to add pressure on the Israeli occupation with all possible means until the prisoners’ demands are met.
"Let us all work together to expose the Israeli racist and hateful policies toward our great prisoners."
Commenting on horrific pictures of prisoner Khalil Awawdeh, who has been on hunger strike for 6 months now, the movement said that Awawdeh "stands as evidence of this vile enemy's arrogance, and also mirrors Palestinian prisoner's stability and determination, and their resilience in the face of the Israeli occupation."
Watch | Despite his struggle to even talk, the #Palestinian hunger-striking prisoner #KhalilAwawdeh draws a smile on his face while talking to his wife.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 20, 2022
The prisoner has been going on a hunger strike for more than 160 days now.#FreeThemAll #FreeKhalil pic.twitter.com/fUbClINrTD
Earlier, Mohjat Al-Quds Foundation reported that the occupation prison administration continues to close the rooms of Islamic Jihad prisoners for the sixth consecutive day.
The Palestinian prisoners demand ending the practice of solitary confinement against dozens of Palestinian prisoners, including the six Palestinian Prisoners who broke out of Gilboa Prison a year ago.
They have been also demanding the installation of public phones in prison to communicate with their families, especially for women and child prisoners as well as the ability to purchase basic hygiene supplies, and other necessities of incarcerated life.
The Israeli occupation currently has about 4,550 Palestinians incarcerated, including 31 female prisoners, 175 minors, and more than 700 administrative detainees - the highest number since 2008.
Khalil Awawdeh fights occupation with his empty stomach
"Prisoner Awawdeh's health condition is getting worse day by day," commission spokesperson Hassan Abed Rabbo has lately said. "He has lost more than half of his body weight, and he feels incredibly weak. His vision is impaired so much so that he could not recognize his wife Dalal Awawdeh as she was visiting him at the Asaf Harofeh hospital."
The freedom of Awawdeh was one of the clauses of the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire between Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Israeli occupation, which took place three weeks earlier after several days of Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of Palestinian civilians and wounding hundreds of others.
The head of the political department in the Islamic Jihad Movement, Muhammad Al-Hindi, said on August 7 that "a formula for the Egyptian declaration of the truce agreement has been reached, and it includes Egypt's commitment to work for the release of the two prisoners, Khalil Awawdeh and Bassam Al-Saadi."
Al-Saadi detention extended
The Israeli occupation has also decided to extend the detention of Palestinian Islamic Jihad official Bassam Al-Saadi until next Sunday for "judicial procedures", the prisoners' media office said.
The Israeli occupation raised a list of charges against Al-Saadi on Thursday, on accusations of belonging to the group, serving it, and inciting resistance and support for it, the media office said.
The Prisoners' Information Office indicated that "the (Israeli) Metsada repression units surround the prison blocks amid heightened tensions in all of the prisons."
Israeli General Security Service Shin Bet finished interrogating Al-Saadi, and the "Ofer" military court decided to extend his detention following a hearing on his case.
The occupation had extended Al-Saadi’s detention more than once, as it extended his detention on August 16 for a period of 6 days under the pretext of questioning him after a previous extension on August 11.
The PIJ commander said he was arbitrarily arrested in his first public appearance since his detention.
Special units of the Israeli occupation stormed the house of Al-Saadi and arrested him and his brother-in-law Ashraf Al-Jada in his home in Jenin Camp after assaulting them and taking them to an unknown destination.
Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin reported that Al-Saadi's wife was rushed to the emergency after the occupation soldiers beat her while arresting her husband.
The Palestinian Resistance factions warned the occupation against harming Al-Saadi, declaring alertness and readiness of combat units.
Ben Gvir threatens prisoners' families
The prisoner's media office said right-wing extremist Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir threatened the family of Palestinian prisoner Murad Al-Rajabi and the families of other prisoners via phone calls.
"The abuse of prisoners' families and threatening them via phone call by Knesset member Ben Gvir is an unprecedented violation that reflects the grudge Zionists have against prisoners," Waed Association reported.
"This threat comes as part of the electoral campaign of this figure, who is known for his extremism and sadism to realize political gains," the Association noted.
