Palestinian activists close UN office in Ramallah

A protest in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israel closed the doors of the UN office in Ramallah on Wednesday, Quds Press has reported. The protesters included relatives of the prisoners as well as local activists who accuse the international body of abandoning its obligations to the Palestinians and their cause.

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During a press conference held in front of the UN office, the Palestinian activists criticised the “silence” of the organisation towards the hunger strikers. For the prisoners’ relatives, the closure of the office was an “extension of the series of actions against anyone who conspires against or gives up their responsibility towards the issue of the Palestinian prisoners.”

They called for an “immediate” intervention to save the lives of the hunger strikers, who have been on strike since 17 April. In addition, they called for the formation of an international fact-finding committee to investigate the “daily Israeli crimes” against the prisoners.

Read: What prisoners mean to the Palestinian Authority

Concluding their conference, the families called for the UN Human Rights High Commissioner to take and announce a “clear positon” towards the use of administrative detention by the Israeli occupation authorities and declare it to be a “crime against humanity”.