Prisoners start hunger strike to protest against PA cuts to their salaries

Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails announced yesterday the start of a hunger strike in protest against a decision by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to cut the salaries of prisoners in the Gaza Strip, Quds Net News reported.

The PA and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has imposed sanctions on the Gaza Strip that includes cuts of 50 per cent to PA and prisoners’ salaries and turned over 20,000 PA employees to enforced retirement.

In a statement the prisoners said: “We will not appeal to you. We want a clear decision to return the salaries and the benefits of our families.”

They added: “We will not retreat until our demand is met and we remind the officials with the bitter truth that cutting our salaries and the benefits of our families is a violation of the law agreed with all Palestinians.”

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According to the statement, the prisoners also said: “We will not speak too much. Our patience ran out as we did our best to drop the message to the officials silently, but no one responded to us… therefore, we were obliged to forcefully defend our rights the same we as we have done with the jailers.”

They added: “Let history record that the Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails went on a hunger strike in order to secure their rights from the Palestinian leadership, which should protect them.”