Palestinian prisoners end hunger strike after Israel agrees to terms

A mass hunger strike staged by Palestinian prisoners over deteriorating conditions in Israeli jails was suspended earlier today after their demands were met by the Israeli Prison Service.

Some 400 Palestinian prisoners launched a mass open hunger strike on Tuesday last week following the failure of talks with the Israel Prison Services (IPS) over the deteriorating situation in Israeli jail. Prisoners had planned to escalate their strike one week later by refraining from drinking water if the Israeli authorities don’t accept their demands.

Khader Adnan carries on his hunger strike in Israeli jail – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

The end of the strike came after intense negotiations between the strike’s leaders, including representatives from the Palestinian factions in prison and the IPS.

In a statement issued this evening on behalf of the prisoners’ movements, the joint Prisoners’ Committee of Islamic and National Factions said: “The prisoners’ movement confirmed that they reach a deal with the Israeli Prison Service removing electronic jamming devices and allowing them to have landlines in prison to call their families.”

The press conference also confirmed that Israeli occupation authorities agreed to reverse measures they had taken in February which included installing signal jamming devices which prisoners said were causing them severe headaches.

READ: Palestinian prisoners start hunger strike to protest Israel punitive measures

Israeli authorities also agreed to release prisoners who were being held in solitary confinement allowing them to join the remaining detainees in their cells.

According to political analyst Adnan Abu Amer: “For the first time ever in the Israeli prisons, Israel agreed on installing payphones in the prisoners’ cells.”

The Prisoners’ Information office spokesperson, Ali Almoghrabi, said: “This a new victory for the prisoners’ movement, they forced the Israeli authorities to agree on their demands after only one week.”

News piece by Wafa Al-Udaini