West Bank detainees on hunger strike draw attention to the misery of their situation

A Cairo University political science professor has criticised the Palestinian Authority for continuing to hold political prisoners. Professor Hassan Nafaa said that the current hunger strike by detainees in PA jails constitutes a protest about their mistreatment and draws attention to “the misery of the Palestinian situation”. The detention of those who resist Israel’s military occupation is, added Prof. Nafaa, part of the PA’s commitment to the Zionist state and the US.

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“It is known that the PA cooperates with the Israeli occupation on security [matters],” he said, “and we know that this is under American supervision and detention is part of this deal.” According to Prof. Nafaa there is a commitment by the PA to control the security situation in the West Bank which, it believes, will lead to a reasonable peace agreement. “However, what is happening is that while the PA does what is required of it, the Israelis do not fulfil their obligations; this is the dilemma the Palestinians face.”