Saturday 24 March 2012

Palestinian Prisoners on a General Hunger Strike in Israeli Dungeons

Today, 24.03.2012, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli dungeons joined in a general one-day hunger strike against the policies of isolation, medical negligence, the prohibition of family visits and against the arbitrary so-called administrative detention.

The strike, which is part of a wide-scale struggle programme is also in solidarity with Palestinian detainee Hana’ Ash-Shalabi who is today on her 38th day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention. Further strike steps include a general strike on Wednesday and Saturday of next week. An escalation in the type and range of protests is expected during April 2012.

On the evening of Friday 23.03.2012, Palestinian hunger striker and administrative detainee Tha’ir Halahleh was transferred to prison hospital after his health deteriorated. Halahleh has been on hunger strike for 23 days, in protest administrative detention and in solidarity with fellow administrative detainee and hunger striker Hana’ Ash-Shalabi. His lawyer said that despite his deteriorating health condition, Halahleh refuses to stop his hunger strike and will continue the struggle against his arbitrary and illegal detention. Currently, there are at least 25 Palestinian prisoners on hungers strike protesting administrative detention, the inhumane treatment inside Israeli dungeons, medical negligence and isolation. They are divided into 3 groups:

1. Hunger strikers against the arbitrary so-called administrative detention: The illegal policy of administrative detention allows the Israeli military to hold Palestinian prisoners indefinitely without charge or trial. Israeli prison authority uses administrative detention as prolonged detention, and in some cases Palestinian detainees are held captive without charge or trial for 5 or even 10 years.

2. Hunger strikers in solidarity with Hana’ Ash-Shalabi and against administrative detention.

3. Hunger strikers demanding that Palestinian prisoners be treated as POW and as freedom fighters: International affirms the right of peoples to defend themselves against foreign invasion. UN Resolutions such as UN Res. 2787 of 1971 affirms the “legality of the people’s struggle for self-determination and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and alien subjugation”… “the inalienable rights of … the Palestinian people, to freedom, equality and self-determination, and the legitimacy of their struggles to restore those rights. [It is] man’s basic human right to fight for the self-determination of his people under colonial and foreign domination.”[1] Accordingly, these hunger strikers demand that Palestinians held captive by the Israeli occupation be treated as POW.

Hana’ Ash-Shalabi is today on her 38th day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention

source: google images
Hana’ Ash-Shalabi, 29 years old, was kidnapped from her home in Burqin, Jenin on 16.02.2012 and has been ordered in administrative detention for 6 months. This is not the first time for Hana’: she had been in administrative detention for 6 executive times since 14.03.2009, and was released in October 2011 in the latest prisoner exchange deal after spending 2 and a half years in Israeli detention without charge or trial. Through her hunger-strike, Hana’ is protesting against her illegal detention and to demand an end to the policy of administrative detention.

Her health is rapidly deteriorating and she is in critical condition: Her blood pressure is very low, salt concentration in her blood is very high which affects her kidneys and causes her extreme pain at night. Her heart beats are weak and irregular, she suffers from a sharp pain in the chest, severe dehydration and dizziness, and cannot stand up.

In the letter she confirmed that despite her suffering, she will continue the struggle. She was transferred to hospital, where was locked up in a small isolated cell surrounded by occupation soldiers who ate in front of her to force her into breaking her hunger strike. The Israeli prison authority has punished Hana’ for refusing to break her hunger strike by denying her family visits for a month.

Kifah Hattab is today on his 27th day of open-ended hunger strike demanding to be treated as POW

source: google images

Kifah Hattab, 51 years old from Tulkarim, has been held captive in Israeli dungeons since 04.06.2003. He refuses to acknowledge Israeli military prison orders and on 26.02.2012 started a second open-ended hunger strike to demand Israeli prison authority respect humanitarian and international law and treat Palestinian prisoners as “Prisoners of War”.

He is fined 250 shekels per day for every day he refuses to attend the daily prisoner count.

On 17.04.2011 Hattab went on a hunger strike in protest of his captivity and to demand that Israeli prison authority treat him as a POW. His hunger strike lasted 20 days, during which he was punished with isolation.

Bilal Thiab and Tha’ir Halahleh are today on their 23th day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention

source: google images
On 01.03.2012, administrative detainees Bilal Thiab, 26 years old from Jenin, and Tha’ir Halahleh, 25 years old from Hebron, held captive in An-Naqab prison, started an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with Hana’ Ash-Shalabi and against their administrative detention.

Bilal was detained several times, spending a total of 7 years in Israeli jails, and one year in administrative detention, which has been recently renewed.

Tha’ir was detained several times, spending a total of 9 years in Israeli dungeons, 4 of them in administrative detention.

Murad Malayshah and Islam Al-Shu’aybe are today on their 21st day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention

On 03.03.2012, Murad Malayshah from Jenin and Islam Shu’aybe from Salfit, both held captive in Shatta jail, started a hunger strike in solidarity with Hana’ Ash-Shalabi and against administrative detention. Both were detained several times by Israeli occupation forces. On 15.03.2012, Malayshah’s administrative detention was renewed for another 7 months.

Tariq Qa’dan and Tha’ir Daraghmeh are today on their 20th day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention

Palestinian detainees Tariq Qa’dan from ‘Arrabeh and Tha’ir Daraghmeh from Tubas, who are held captive in Al-Jalameh interrogation centre, are on their 20th day of an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with Hana’ Ash-Shalabi and against administrative detention.

Hasan Safadi, Mohammad Abu ‘Arab and Omar Shallal are today on their 19th day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention

Hasan Safadi, © google images
On 05.03.2012, administrative detainees Hasan Safadi, 34 years old from Nablus, Mohammad Abu ‘Arab, 23 years old from Balata refugee camp, and Omar Shallal from Nablus started an open-ended hunger strike.

Both Hasan Safadi and Mohammad Abu ‘Arab have been held in renewed administrative detention.

Abu ‘Arab was detained in August 2010 for one year, and hours before his release he was placed under administrative detention. Since then, his detention has been renewed for the 3rd consecutive time without trial or charge.

10 detainees are today on their 18th day of open-ended hunger strike

On 06.03.2012, 10 Palestinian detainees held captive in Majiddo prison started an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with Hana’ Ash-Shalabi and to protest administrative detention: Ayman Tbeishah from Dura, Salih A. Kmeil from Qabatia, Salih S. Kmeil from Qabatia, Bilal Kmeil from Qabatia, Murad Fashafshah from Jaba’, Adib Al-Qut from Jenin, Mohammad ‘Abushi from Jenin, Fayez Ash-Shayeb from Jenin, ‘Asif Abu Al-Rub from Jenin, Samir Abu Khaznah from Tulkarim.

Ahmad Haj Ali is today on his 11th day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention

© google images
72 year old Ahmad Haj Ali, the eldest administrative detainee held captive in Israeli dungeons, has also joined the struggle against administrative detention and is today on his 11th day of hunger strike.

Al-Haj Ali, who is one of 27 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) held captive by Israel, has been in a renewed administrative detention in Majiddo dungeon since 9 months.
Al-Haj Ali suffers from various ailments including diabetes and heart problems.

Thabit Nassar is today on his 10th day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention

© google images
Palestinian prisoner Thabit Nassar, fom Madama, is today on hunger strike for the 10th day in solidarity with fellow detainee Hana’ Ash-Shalabi and in protest of the arbitrary so-called administrative detention.

Nassaer, who is currently held captive in Majiddo prison, was detained several times and spent a total of 9 years in Israeli captivity, 7 of which as an administrative detainee without charge or trial.

At one time, the administrative detention for Nassar was renewed 10 consecutive times without charge or trial.


Mohammad At-Taj is today on his 8th day of open-ended hunger strike demanding to be treated as POW

© google images
Palestinian prisoner Mohammad At-Taj, 44 years from Tubas, is on his 8th day of hunger strike. Similar to fellow prisoner Kifah Hattab, At-Taj is demanding Israeli prison authority to treat him as a prisoner of war (POW).

At-Taj was sentenced to 18 years in Israeli captivity.

He has been in isolation in Majiddo since his hunger strike, before recently being transferred to Shatta prison, where he continues his hunger strike.

Ahmad Saqer is today on his 6th day of open-ended hunger strike against administrative detention

On 18.03.2012, administrative detainee Ahmad Nabhan Saqer, 47 years old, started an open-ended hunger strike in protest of the arbitrary so-called administrative detention. Saqer is the longest serving administrative detainee and has been locked up behind Zionist bars without charge or trial since 28.11.2008.

Currently there are 4700 Palestinian prisoners held captive in Israeli dungeons, including 185 children, 9 female prisoners, 322 administrative detainees and 27 MPs.

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