Lawyers visit Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in solitary confinement

Lawyers from prisoners’ rights group Addameer have managed to visit three Palestinian prisoners currently on hunger strike in solitary confinement in Israeli jails.

Ahmed Zahran is in solitary confinement in Ramleh Prison Clinic and on day 32 of his hunger strike, Mohmmed Abu Akkar is in solitary in Asqalan prison and on day 24 of his hunger strike, and Mustafa Hassanat is in solitary in Ohlikdar prison and on day 24 of his hunger strike.

According to Addameer, Zahran “reported that he feels a deterioration in his health”, including suffering from nausea, feeling dizzy when standing, severe pain in his abdomen, and movement has become difficult. He has lost 22kg since the start of his strike, and only drinks water.

Abu Akkar, meanwhile, explained that he had been transferred from solitary confinement in the Naqab prison after 17 days of his hunger strike to Ohlikdar prison, then hours later moved to Ramleh for about an hour “after which he was transferred for the third time to Asqalan prison”.

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“On his first day in Asqalan prison,” Addameer reported, “his weight was checked and they found that he has lost 16 kilos since the start of the strike. Currently, he is only drinking water without salt or sugar and is boycotting the clinics and medical examinations.”

Prison authorities are harassing him and trying to convince him to break the strike.

Hassant also informed Addameer’s lawyer “that he was transferred 17 days after he started his hunger strike from solitary confinement in Naqab prison to solitary confinement in Ohlikdar”. A medical examination indicated that he had lost 17 kilos.

Addameer stated that there are six prisoners on hunger strike in protest against their administrative detention (detention without charge or trial): Jafar Izz el-deen, who has been on hunger strike for 39 days and remains in isolation at “Ramle Prison Clinic”, Zahran, Abu Akkar, and Hassanat who remain in solitary confinement, and Hassan Al-Zeghary “who has been on hunger strike for 15 days and continues to be held in solitary confinement in Ofer prison”.

Addameer urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) “to shoulder its responsibility and act urgently to visit the striking prisoners in order to report on their health conditions”, and called upon the international community to intervene.