Israel to Present a Deal on Hunger Striking Prisoners

Monday May 14, 2012 11:14 by Sean Mohan - IMEMC & Agencies

With some prisoners in serious failing health, the Palestinian Prisoner Association says Israel will present a deal that will include references to administrative detention, solitary confinement, and visitation permits for Gazan families.

Hunger striking prisoner families

Azam al-Ahmad a member of the Fatah Central Committee revealed that Israel was close to signing a deal to end the month long hunger strike. He had arrived in Cairo with strict instructions from Mahmoud Abbas in order that a deal could be reached. These instructions included a demand to cancel the policy of solitary confinement as well as granting visitation permits for the families of Palestinian prisoners from Gaza.

Sources in the Palestinian Prisoner Association told Haaretz that the agreement proposed by the Israel Prison Services will be presented to the group on Monday. Al-Ahmad stated that he had met several Egyptian officials in Cairo, who are mediating the case on behalf several Palestinians on hunger strikes in Israeli prisons.

It had been reported that progress was being made between prisoners and the prison authorities, which included the lifting of sanctions regarding the prohibition of books and writing materials which had been in place before the Gilad Shalit deal.

The prisoners have received a great deal of support from across the West Bank, Gaza and Israel. A major protest was held in Manger Square in Bethlehem on Friday and Saturday, and processions were held in Umm al-Fahm, Kfar Kana, and Haifa during which youths declared the start of a three day hunger strike of their own as a display of solidarity with the prisoners.

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