Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails have launched a mass hunger strike in repsonse to Israeli regime's “tyrannical” policies against Palestinians inmates.
This comes following a call from leader and prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti.
Issa Qaraqe, head of prisoners’ affairs for the Palestinian Authority, made the announcement on Monday.
"Around 1,300 Palestinian prisoners" were participating in the hunger strike and the number could rise, the Palestinian Authority official noted.
The strike was called in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, which is observed annually.
Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel.
A large number of Palestinian prisoners from across the political spectrum have gone on hunger strike in protest to the condition of Israeli prisons and to mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.
Palestinian leaders say the strike has been organized to defy Israeli authorities’ “tyrannical” policies used against Palestinians prisoners, such as “arbitrary detentions, torture, medical negligence, and the deprivation of family visits."
A total of 6,500 Palestinians, including women, children and lawmakers, are being held in prisons and detention facilities across the occupied territories.
Palestinian inmates regularly hold hunger strikes in protest against the administrative detention policy and their harsh prison conditions.