Tension prevails in occupation prisons as IOF grow more repressive

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen Net + Agencies
23 Feb 20:26

Israeli prisons administration sounds the sirens as tension prevails.

"Ofer" prison (Archive)

The Israeli occupation prisons administration sounded warning sirens in several prisons and proceeded to close all sections after the prisoners’ sit-in in the courtyards wearing their brown uniforms.

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club confirmed today, Thursday, in a joint statement that a state of extreme tension has swept through different Israeli prisons, especially “Ofer”, as the IOF used coercion to force prisoners to enter their sections.

In their statement, the Commission and the club stated that the prisoners staged a sit-in in the courtyards of “Ofer” prison and refused to enter the sections.

They affirmed that the resistance steps that the prisoners in the occupation prisons continue to implement in response to the measures of the extremist Israeli Police Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, are increasing and expanding according to the program approved by the Supreme Emergency Committee of the Captive Movement.

"The prisoners, since yesterday, and in continuation of the existing course of resistance, have returned their meals, and it has been agreed, in addition to the general steps, on steps specific to particular prisons,” the joint statement added. This comes in response to the sorting policy that the prison administration is trying to use, which is evident in the stark difference in the measures it tries to impose on the prisoners, with the aim of targeting the prisoners’ sense of collectivity.

In their statement, the Commission and the Club added that these steps will be open until the announcement of the hunger strike step on the first of upcoming Ramadan, which will be titled “Either Freedom or Martyrdom.”

On its part, the Supreme Emergency Committee called again for devoting tomorrow, Friday, to be a day of rage, in rejection of the Israeli occupation's crimes and massacres and in support of the prisoners and Al-Quds.

The head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Qaddoura Fares, had previously confirmed, during an interview for Al Mayadeen, that the prisoners are making tough choices, in a compulsory manner, because of the Israeli occupation measures against them.

Fares pointed out that "the attack on the prisoners is an attack on the Palestinian people," adding that "the factions must take part in this battle."

The head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club explained that "opening the fronts against the occupation may force it back to uphold more rational choices toward the prisoners."

There are currently 4,780 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 160 children, 29 female prisoners, and 914 administrative detainees.