On Day 39 of Hunger Strike, Official Warns of Critical Downturn in Health of Prisoners

The file photo shows Marwan Barghouti (C), a former top leader of the Palestinian Fatah Movement.

Ramallah, 29 Sha’ban 1438/26 May 2017 (MINA) – Issa Qaraqe, head of the Detainees Affairs Commission, warned on Thursday that the health condition of the hunger striking Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, who have been fasting for 39 straight days, is very critical and some may even die.

Speaking to Voice of Palestine radio, Qaraqe said there are ongoing talks with international human rights groups to urge Israel to respond to the humanitarian demands of the hunger strikers.

“Israel is now alarmed and worried because it has found that the infirmaries it had set up in jails are insufficient to accommodate the prisoners and thus moved some of them to hospitals outside prisons,” Palestinian news agency, Wafa, quoted Qaraqe as saying.

He said there is nothing yet clear regarding solving the issue of the hunger striking prisoners, but he expressed hope that ongoing talks can achieve positive results in this regard.

Since April 17, more than 1,600 Palestinian prisoners have been refusing to eat food as part of a protest action dubbed the Freedom and Dignity Strike, led by imprisoned Marwan Barghouti, a former top leader of the Palestinian Fatah Movement. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj IslamicNews Agency (MINA)