After midnight raid, Palestinian prisoners in Negev begin hunger strike

Thursday January 11, 2007 22:36 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies - 1 of IMEMC Editorial Group

In a late-night raid on Palestinian political prisoners in Negev prison Wednesday night, Israeli forces beat Palestinian prisoners and destroyed their belongings, according to the prisoners. Following the raid, hundreds of prisoners began a hunger strike Thursday morning to protest the conditions in the prison and the raid.

The prisoners gathered in the yard for a press conference Thursday morning, in which they criticized the prison administration for the brutal raid, which focused on seizing materials used by the Palestinian prisoners for cooking their food. The prisoners revoked their representatives to the prison administration, and stated that they are considering further action.

Of the 2,400 Palestinian prisoners of war being held in the Negev detention facility, 700 are being held in 'administrative detention' without ever being charged with a crime. Holding prisoners for extended periods is in direct violation of international law and human rights conventions to which Israel is a signatory. But Israeli authorities have continually shrugged off efforts by the international community to push the nation to adhere to international law, citing 'security reasons' as sufficient cause for its ongoing violations.

israel | prisoners | news report saed at imemc dot org