Mosques, churches in West Bank unite to support hunger striking prisoners

Today at noon, church bells will ring and the sound of Allahu Akbar (God is Great) will be heard from the minarets of mosques across the occupied West Bank in support of hunger striking Palestinian prisoners.

The media committee of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs, as well as the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, announced the move yesterday in coordination with Dr. Hanna Issa, the head of the Islamic-Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, and Palestinian Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs, Youssef Ideiss.

It added that this is a call for the international community to move to save the prisoners and to provide international protection for them, as their health deteriorates.

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Around 1,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been on a hunger strike for the past 24 days. The strike began on 17 April which marks Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.

Jerusalem shuts down in solidarity with Palestinian hunger strikers

A woman passes by a closed shop in Jerusalem on April 27, 2017. Many shopkeepers in east Jerusalem didn’t open their shops today after the National Support Committee for Prisoners on Hunger Strike called for a general strike to show solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. ( Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency )