WEST BANK (Dispatches) – As many as 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held by the Zionist regime will start a mass hunger strike tomorrow in protest at the occupying regime’s violence and repressive policies which deprive them of their most basic rights.
The announcement of the protest was made by the Supreme National Emergency Committee of the National Captive Movement.
The committee said that the prisoners are fighting their battle “united against the Israeli occupation’s prison system, backed by a national leadership, and armed with unity.” It stressed that the strike will be accompanied by prisoners continuing with other protests against measures being taken by prison wardens and authorities.
The horrific photographs of Khalil Awawdeh, who has been on hunger strike for six months, “stand as evidence of this vile enemy’s arrogance, and also mirror Palestinian prisoners’ determination and resilience in the face of the Israeli occupation.”
The occupation, the committee added, should face pressure from national, regional and international organizations and governments in response to the demands of the prisoners. “Everyone should work towards exposing Israel’s hateful, racist policies.”
The so-called Israeli High Court of Justice Court has rejected a petition for the release of Awawdeh, who has been on hunger strike for nearly six months against his continued detention without charge by Zionist officials and whose lawyer says is in danger of “sudden death.”
“We can only hope again that the petitioner will come to his senses and stop the hunger strike,” the court said in its Tuesday ruling.
The court further claimed that it was confident he would receive the necessary medical care.
Calls are growing internationally for the release of the 40-year-old Awawdeh, after his wife shared images of his extremely emaciated body on Sunday, a day after she visited his hospital room.