Hamas members on hunger strike inside PA prisons

Fourteen members of Hamas inside Palestinian Authority (PA) jails in the occupied West Bank have been on hunger strike for a week, The Islamic resistence movement announced today.

Prominent leader and former minister of Hamas Wasfi Kabha said that 14 students from Al-Najah National University have started a hunger strike approximately one week ago. He said they are protesting against their detention and being mistreated inside PA prisons.

According to data issued by Hamas, the number of its members arrested by the PA is 70. Kabha accused PA security services of increasing the scale of arrests against members of his movements.

Kabha said that the detention increased in wake of the large attendance at the funeral procession of the Qassam Brigade’s martyr who was killed by Israel 11 years ago but whose body was released 10 days ago.

He said that within days more than 40 Hamas members were arrested by the PA.

The PA cooperates with the Israeli occupation as it collects intelligence information about Palestinians and hands it over to occupation forces. It has been severely criticised by several Palestinian factions.