Palestinian prisoners united in occupation face: Detainees Commission

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Aug 2023 13:57

Undersecretary of the Commission of Detainees Affairs, Abdul Qadir Al-Khatib, says that the prisoners' movement inside the prisons is united and will leave the prisoners on hunger strikes alone.

A Palestinian protestor waves his Palestinian flag in front of Israeli Occupation's "Ofer prison" near "Betunia" in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, March 30, 2016 (AFP)

Undersecretary of the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Abdul Qadir Al-Khatib, confirmed that the situation inside the Israeli occupation prisons is very dangerous, especially in light of the increasing number of administrative prisoners who continue to be on hunger strike.

Al-Khatib said during a statement to Voice of Palestine that the situation inside the prisons is "catastrophic," especially since the fate of prisoners on hunger strike has been unknown after the occupation's intransigence in the past noting the case of the former prisoner that martyred Sheikh Khader Adnan.

The undersecretary also stressed that the prisoners' movement inside the prisons has been united and has no intention of leaving the prisoners on hunger strike alone. As such, it is expected that in the coming days, the commission will lead movements and solidarity activities with the prisoners on hunger strikes in an attempt to pressure the occupation.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs warned of a "real explosion" in Israeli occupation prisons and detention centers, as a result of the occupation's policy of indifference to the demands of administrative prisoners.

In a statement, the Commission indicated that the escalating increase in the number of new administrative prisoners is a clear indication that the political and military instructions give the so-called Israeli intelligence officers absolute freedom to master the collective punishment of these prisoners and their families.

The statement highlighted that six administrative prisoners are engaged today in an open hunger strike against their administrative detention, adding that a new group of prisoners, which may exceed 15, is set to join the strike on Thursday, while the number will gradually double over the coming days.

The commission stated that the hunger-striking prisoners are Sultan Khalouf (42 years old), Saif Hamdan (29 years old), Saleh Rabaya (22 years old), Qusay Khader (25 years old), Osama Khalil (23 years old), and Kayed Al-Fasfous (34 years old). It is noteworthy that Al-Fasfous underwent a 131-day hunger strike in 2021 in protest against his administrative detention.

The statement explained that Palestinian administrative prisoners continue to pursue their escalation program against the Israeli occupation prisons administration, implementing daily protest steps such as returning meals, boycotting clinics, refraining from consuming medicines, as well as shutting down prisons' departments and rooms.

The Commission called on the International Committee of the Red Cross and human rights and humanitarian institutions to take immediate action and carry out their humanitarian and moral duties, to put an end to this racial extremism, and to end the policy of administrative detention, which, violates all international norms and covenants.

It is noteworthy that the number of administrative prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons exceeds 1,200 -- the highest number since 2002. Data show that the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons reached about 5,000 in 2023, including 160 children and 32 women.