ISRAEL EXPELS PALESTINIAN PRISONERS FROM WEST BANK TO GAZA

       Gaza, 16 Syawal 1434/23 August 2013 (MINA) – On Wednesday the Israeli Occupation forces expelled the Palestinian prisoner Ayman Abu-Daud to the Gaza Strip after he spent 40 days on hunger strike.

       Abu-Daud was released by the prisoner swap held between Israel and the Palestinian fighters in 2011, when Israel released more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Palestinians kidnapped Shalit from his tank at the Gaza border.

       Israel violated the terms of the swap and detained Daud and several other released prisoners in the West Bank. Daud went on hunger strike when he was detained and ended his strike on bail, only to be expelled to the Gaza Strip for ten years.

       Daud said that life inside Israeli jails is very difficult and prisoners receive bad health treatment. He said that the prisoners on hunger strike are suffering serious health issues.

       The sources said that Ayman Abu Dawud, from the southern West Bank city of Hebron, arrived in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Thursday morning after being released from an Israeli prison, according to Xinhua and Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

      Abu Dawud, who went on a hunger strike for 40 days before he was released, told reporters after he crossed through Erez Crossing in northern Gaza that he is happy to be released from prison.

     “But I’m still sad that there are still hundreds of my colleagues and friends behind the Israeli bars,” said Abu Dawud, adding “I call for intensifying the efforts to free all of them because they are suffering a lot.”

     Abu Dawud was released in October 2011, in the last prisoners swap brokered by Egypt between Israel and Hamas movement to free the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but was arrested once again 10 months later.

        Israel put Abu Dawud under administrative detention, until he agreed to end his hunger strike and in exchange get released but to be expelled to the Gaza Strip. (T/P08/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)