PA health minister prevented from visiting hunger striker in Israeli hospital

Israeli prison guards prevented Palestinian Authority (PA) Health Minister Jawad Awwad from visiting a Palestinian hunger striker in an Israeli hospital, Pls48.net reported.

Awwad had arranged the visit with Israeli authorities; however guards at the prison would not allow him access to the Barzilai Medical Centre in Ashkelon to visit a Palestinian prisoner who has been on hunger strike for 62 days.

It is believed that the measure came in response to remarks the minister made last week in which he accused Israeli authorities of violating international law regarding the force-feeding of the hunger striker Mohammed Allan.

“WHO, ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] and UN committees oppose the practice of force-feeding [Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails] approved by the Israeli Knesset,” he said in a statement last Wednesday.

“The ICRC stressed that force-feeding is morally unacceptable,” he added.