Palestinian prisoners begin major hunger strike at Israeli jails

A group of Palestinian inmates in an Israeli jail has gone on an open-ended hunger strike in protest against the regime’s repressive policies.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said more than 2,000 prisoners were also set to join the strike action on Thursday, the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.

The major grievance of the prisoners is the repressive measures adopted upon orders from the extremist Israeli official Itamar Ben Gvir.

The hunger strike is to draw attention to violations of the basic rights of the Palestinian prisoners. The inmates are denied access to basic medical care and are frequently subjected to torture.

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are held under administrative detention, in which Israel keeps the detainees without charge for up to six months, a period which can be extended an infinite number of times. Rights groups say Israel’s use of administrative detention is a ‘bankrupt tactic.’

There are reportedly more than 7,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

SS