Palestinian prisoners still in hunger strike talks with Israeli prison authorities

A local official confirmed to Arabi 21 today that negotiations are ongoing between Palestinian prisoners and the Israeli occupation prison authorities over prisoners’ demands for an end to the abuse and harassment that they face in Israel’s prisons.

“The negotiations are continuing between the prisoners and the occupation authorities, and they need a few more hours, so the mass hunger strike will start this evening instead of this morning, in the event that the Israelis do not respond positively to prisoners’ demands,” explained Qadura Fares, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club. “The prisoners have given the negotiations an opportunity to take the time they need. If an agreement is reached today, there will be no open hunger strike, in which 1,000 prisoners have agreed to participate.”

The hunger strike will go ahead, warned Fares, if no agreement is reached. “The main demand is to put an end to the Israeli Prison Service’s repressive measures within prisons.” While the IPS is apparently ready to freeze the latest contentious procedures scheduled to be introduced on 5 September, he pointed out, the prisoners want them cancelled altogether.

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The head of the Palestinian Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs Commission, Qadri Abu Bakr, revealed in an exclusive statement to Arabi 21 on Wednesday that there are “external parties” mediating between the prisoners and the occupation authorities, in order to meet the demands of the prisoners and prevent the hunger strike. Although Abu Bakr gave no further details, according to Fares these parties include Palestinian Authority intelligence officers.

Israel is holding more than 4,500 Palestinians in its prisons, including women and children