WEST BANK (Dispatches) – Several Palestinian political prisoners have been on hunger strikes in the Zionist regime’s jails for more than 100 days as they protest against their so-called administrative detention and harsh prison conditions.
Miqdad al-Qawasmi, a 24-year-old Palestinian from Al-Khalil, has been on hunger strike for 103 days protesting his administrative detention, a form of imprisonment without charge or trial imposed by the occupying regime.
The highly controversial policy, used almost exclusively against Palestinians, allows for detention without charge or trial for renewable periods of three to six months, without the possibility of appeal or knowing what accusations are being leveled against the detained.
Many Palestinian prisoners have resorted to hunger strikes to protest against the policy.
The supreme command council for the captives of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has voiced concern over the heath of Palestinian prisoners in the Zionist regime’s jails who have gone on hunger strike, declaring the start of “a struggle program” in support of the hunger strikers.
In a statement issued on Monday, the council announced that it has launched “a struggle program” to support the administrative detainees who are on a hunger strike.
According to the statement, the program begins by closing the prisons’ sections for two hours starting from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
The council stated that Tuesday’s meal would also be rejected, noting that greater measures would be declared in the upcoming days.
“The [Zionist] occupation bears full responsibility for the lives of captives on hunger strike,” the council said, describing the health condition of the hunger strikers as “serious” and “can’t be tolerated”.
More than 7,000 Palestinians are reportedly held in the occupying regime’s jails. Hundreds have been incarcerated under the practice of administrative detention.
Some Palestinian prisoners have even been held in administrative detention for up to eleven years.